Illinois Football: 2024 defensive lineman commits to Illini

The Illinois football team had a great Sunday, as we added to the family in a big way.

Coming into the weekend, the Illini had three commitments and were ranked outside the top 70 nationally when it came to the class of 2024. It was a solid start to the class, but there were more opportunities on the horizon.

This past weekend was a great chance for Illinois to add some talent to the 2024 class. Numerous recruits were taking official visits to see what Champaign was all about. One of those players was Demetrius John.

Illinois’ recruitment of John has gone quickly. We offered him a scholarship back on February 4. He then took an unofficial visit on February 20 and April 15. John was in town this past weekend for his official visit, and that is when he decided to make the move.

On Sunday night, John took to social media to announce that he was committing to Illinois. This is a big pledge for the Illini and one that helps boost the class of 2024.

Demetrius John gives Illinois football another top 1000 commitment for the class of 2024

John is a 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive lineman from Dublin Coffman High School in Ohio. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 784 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 80 defensive lineman in the country and the No. 26 player coming out of Ohio.

With his commitment, I am curious to see if John decides to take his other official visits. In the coming weeks, he had visits set up with Boston College, Indiana, and Vanderbilt.

Opinion

This is a big commitment for the Illinois football program. John is now the highest-rated player for the Illini in the class of 2024.

John adds to a list of top 1000 recruits that continues to grow. He is the No. 784 player in the class of 2024. Illinois also has Trey Petty, who is No. 823, and Angelo McCullom, who is No. 900.

I am also intrigued by the potential pipeline Illinois is building to Ohio. John is out of Dublin, Ohio. He joins McCullom who hails from Pickerington, Ohio. These two could be the start of something special for the Illini from this talent-rich state.

I love this commitment for the Illini. Developing a deep front seven on the defensive side of the ball is so important. This coaching staff is knocking it out of the park.