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Illinois Football: Top 5 recruiting targets left for the class of 2024

By Rees Woodcock

COLLEGE PARK, MD - OCTOBER 27: Football on the field during a college football game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Capitol One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 27, 2018 at College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
COLLEGE PARK, MD - OCTOBER 27: Football on the field during a college football game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Capitol One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 27, 2018 at College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 22: A general view of the Illinois Fighting Illini scoreboard before the game against the Chattanooga Mocs at Memorial Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Karsen Konkel

The No. 4 recruit on this list is ranked lower than the No. 5 player, but with the way Illinois is building the offense, we need more tight end help. That is why landing Karsen Konkel would be big for the program.

Konkel is a 6-foot-6, 225-pound tight end from Pinckneyville Community High School in Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 974 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 42 tight end in the country and the No. 20 player coming out of Illinois.

There isn’t a prediction submitted for Konkel just yet, but he has three official visits scheduled. He visited Illinois this past weekend. This weekend, he will be heading to Michigan State to take in the Spartans program. On June 23, Konkel will then head to Pittsburgh to see what the Panthers have to offer.

Bret Bielema took over the Illinois football program and made the offense more productive. We started to run the ball more, and he is building the team from the inside out. That style is more conducive to tight end production as well.

Illinois hasn’t had a ton of production at the tight end position over the past decade or so. Look for Tip Reiman to be the main starting tight end for the Illini in 2023 and 2024. Beyond him, there is a lot of unproven talent. This would leave the door open for Konkel to make an impact early. That is why I think he is a top target.

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