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Intriguing 2027 quarterback picks Illinois football has his landing spot

The Illinois football team has a quarterback for the class of 2027, and it is a player who has an intriguing skillset that could set him apart in the future.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini players wear the throwback helmets and uniforms in honor of legendary Red Grange and the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium before the game against the Michigan Wolverines. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini players wear the throwback helmets and uniforms in honor of legendary Red Grange and the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium before the game against the Michigan Wolverines. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

At one time, the Illinois football team had their quarterback of the future, but those plans changed months ago.

It was a fun time when the Illini thought Kamden Lopati was going to be our quarterback. Michigan swooped in with a big bag, and that marriage ended quickly.

Bret Bielema didn’t just sit back with no answer, though. He went out and continued recruiting quarterbacks. On Monday, the work by the Illinois coaching staff paid off, as Sladen Shack took to social media to announce his commitment to the Orange and Blue.

Shack is a 6-foot-1, 211-pound quarterback from Brandon High School in Mississippi. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1316 player in the class of 2027. Shack is also the No. 75 quarterback in the country and the No. 32 player coming out of Mississippi.

On paper, Shack’s commitment doesn’t seem huge. Being sub-1000 isn’t making a splash in the recruiting world, but once you look at his scholarship offers, the intrigue is piqued.

Shack had roughly 23 scholarship offers, with some of the bigger programs showing interest being Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, and Liberty, among others.

A major trend will have to be broken if Sladen Shack wants to see the field for the Illinois football program

I like what Shack brings to the table. He seems to be a big-time quarterback with an extremely underrated arm.

Shack’s ability to understand arm strength is phenomenal. He can hit his wide receiver at all three levels, and that is impressive at the high school ranks.

What is going to be the biggest hurdle for Shack is that Illinois hasn’t been a high school development program for quarterbacks. Every start from a quarterback at Illinois since Bielema took over has been from a transfer portal addition.

Shack is going to get his chance to shine. He isn’t going to be buried on the depth chart if he has the talent to compete and win the job. This is going to be an interesting journey for the talented Mississippi gunslinger, and I can’t wait to see what he can do for the Orange and Blue.

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