Illinois Football: Illini getting official visit from 4-star lineman

The Illinois football recruiting front has been quiet for a bit now, but things could be getting a little noisier soon.

As of right now, the Illini have 17 commitments with a national recruiting ranking of No. 49 in the country. That is a solid foundation for the future.

On Thursday, we all learned that quarterback commit Trey Petty won the Mississippi Mr. Football Award as well. So, this class already has some special talent. But could Illinois be adding another big-time recruit to the mix in the coming months?

The player of interest is AJ Dennis. On Wednesday, Dennis took to social media to announce that he has decided to take an official visit to Illinois. Dennis’ visit schedule looks like this; Michigan State June 9, Penn State November 10, Clemson November 17, Illinois November 24, and Purdue December 1.

Illinois football can offer AJ Dennis a lot, including an abundance of playing time

This would be a huge commitment for the Illini if we are able to pull Dennis into the mix. He is a 6-foot-5, 275-pound interior offensive lineman from Mt. Pleasant High School in Michigan. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 159 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 5 interior offensive lineman in the country and the No. 3 player coming out of Michigan.

There is no doubt landing Dennis is going to be tough. Illinois is going up against some great programs that have a more recent tradition of winning. But there is one major thing Illinois can offer Dennis from day one.

Playing time.

Illinois is losing some pieces on the offensive line after this season. Jordyn Slaughter, Julian Pearl, and Isaiah Adams will all depart the program. That leaves playing time waiting to be earned.

I will go a step further than just depletion of the roster. Illinois’ offensive line hasn’t been good this season. Currently, three Illinois guards rank in the bottom 14 out of all guards in the Big Ten. We are getting torched on the offensive line, so having someone of Dennis’ caliber come in would help tremendously.

I also believe there is plenty of proof in the pudding when it comes to Bret Bielema. He isn’t just a one-hit-wonder with the eight wins in 2022. He stabilized the Illinois football program and continues to build.

It will be hard to land Dennis. He is a great offensive lineman with numerous programs vying for his commitment. But don’t count the Illini out. Dennis could come into the Illinois program and start day one. That is a lot of firepower for the Orange and Blue.