2025 cornerback gives Illinois football great speed boost in the secondary

While the Illinois football offense is looking strong for the future, Bret Bielema also continues to land some solid pieces on the defensive side of the ball.

Saturday was a solid day for the Illini class of 2025. Illinois was able to pull in great dual-threat running back Cedric Wyche. He should be able to come into the program and see early playing time with his great ability in the backfield.

In addition to Wyche’s big commitment, Illinois also added to the secondary in the form of Robert “RJ” Jones. He is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound cornerback from Vero Beach High School in Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1113 player in the class of 2025. He is also the No. 97 cornerback in the country and the No. 147 player coming out of Florida.

Jones’ scholarship offers were quite impressive. He had teams like Miami (FL), Missouri, Auburn, and Kentucky coming after his services. At the end of the day, the decision came down to UCF or Illinois, and Jones ended up picking the Orange and Blue.

Illinois football is getting a ball-hawk with the addition of Robert “RJ” Jones to the class of 2025

After the 2022 campaign, the Illinois secondary was decimated due to players heading to the NFL. We felt those departures in 2023, as the Illini had a below-average secondary.

A player like Jones should help bolster the secondary greatly. I wouldn’t worry too much about the sub-1000 national recruiting ranking. My guess is that he dropped that low due to him having an injury last season.

You can clearly tell Jones has a ton of potential. The first thing that jumps out to me about his game is his closing speed. This kid can fly around the field. He is an athletic freak with so much energy.

I am also intrigued about Jones’ ability to read the wide receiver’s eyes. He has the ability to know when the ball is coming in coverage, and this enables him to break up passes.

When I watch Jones play the game, he reminds me a lot of someone like Devon Witherspoon. That same aggressive play and energy stands out. Hopefully, this kid can develop into somewhat near what Witherspoon was when he left Champaign.