Illinois football a serious contender for top JUCO cornerback

The Illinois football team has been known for their defensive backs over the past few years.

There have been exciting times for the Illini secondary. In the Bret Bielema era, we have sent numerous defensive backs to the NFL, and they have been the cornerstones of some talented Illinois defenses.

While the 2023 campaign wasn’t great defensively, as there was a huge transition after having multiple defensive backs get picked in the 2023 NFL Draft, Illinois is back on the bandwagon this season when it comes to stopping the pass.

Illinois has improved the pass defense greatly. We are only giving up 207.5 yards per game through the air, which ranks No. 43 in the nation. That is impressive considering we have already played four ranked opponents in our first seven games.

Keeping up with this great pass defense is hugely important for defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. That is why landing someone like Keshawn Davila is crucial.

On Monday, Davila took his recruitment to the next level. He decided to trim his list down to just eight programs. Among the eight to make the cut included Utah, SMU, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Boise State, Washington State, Arizona State, and Illinois.

Davila would be a massive get for the Illini. He is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound cornerback from Northwest Mississippi Community College. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 17 junior college player in the class of 2025. He is also the No. 1 JUCO cornerback and the No. 9 JUCO player coming out of the state of Florida.

Keshawn Davila would give an experienced Illinois football secondary a boost in 2025

Illinois is targeting Davila for a reason. This kid can play the game and play it at a high level. In 2023, as a freshman, he had 35 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a sack for Northwest Mississippi CC.

Davila has picked up where he left off this season too. He has 18 tackles, four pass breakups, and one interception through seven games.

The great thing about the Illini wanting Davila is that he wouldn’t be relied on to be the guy in the secondary. He is needed in the Illinois defensive backfield, but Davila would be slotted into an already talented and experienced depth chart.

I love what Illinois likely has coming back in 2025. Xavier Scott, Terrance Brooks, and Torrie Cox Jr. are all juniors, so they should come back for one more season. Kaleb Patterson is only a sophomore, so he will be back as well. That is pretty much the core of what Illinois has in the secondary this season at cornerback.

When you add in a player like Davila, that gives the Illini one of the best defensive backfields in the country. This kid is a big-time player, and I want him wearing Orange and Blue in 2025.