Illinois Football: 2025 WR target visiting for first Illini game of the season

Illinois football has a big class of 2025 in-state target visiting the program this weekend.

Bret Bielema’s ability to recruit has been fun to watch. He took over an Illini program that was struggling in just about every form and fashion, and he quickly formed them into a team that is competitive on and off the field.

In his first recruiting class, Bielema was able to secure a top 50 group at No. 46 in the country. For the class of 2023, he was able to land a top 40 class, checking in at No. 38 in the country. The 2024 class is trending in the direction of the first two classes, as it currently ranks No. 43 in the nation.

With the first three recruiting classes looking to be top 50 groups, Bielema and the coaching staff have started to focus some efforts on developing the class of 2025. Landing someone like Terrence Smith would help that cause.

Smith is a 6-foot-4, 175-pound wide receiver from West Aurora High School in Illinois. He isn’t rated or ranked just yet, but the class of 2025 recruit does have scholarship offers from a handful of MAC programs as of right now.

On Tuesday, Smith’s high school, West Aurora, took to social media to announce that Smith was going to be in Champaign this weekend for a visit during the Illinois football game against Toledo.

Illinois football could always use a big-time athlete like Terrence Smith

While some people might stray away from a player who has zero stars, Illinois is eyeing this kid for the future. Smith isn’t just a regular football player. This kid is a two-sport athlete with scholarships on both sides.

Smith has a handful of scholarships to play football at the DI level, and he is also starting to bring in basketball scholarships. In fact, in June 2022, he took an unofficial visit to Illinois to see the basketball program. This was four months before he visited the Illini football program for the first time.

Getting someone who can land a DI scholarship in two sports would be great. That means Smith is an elite athlete. He also brings great size to the football field.

At 6-foot-4, Smith would be the second-tallest wide receiver on the Illinois roster right now. Ashton Hollins would be the only one taller, and he stands at 6-foot-5. Having a nice big target for Luke Altmyer, who would be a senior in 2025, to throw to would be ideal.