Illinois football commit Desmond Straughton, "they made me feel like family"

Illinois football continues to land talented recruits for the class of 2025.

The 2023 campaign didn’t go as planned, as the Illini ended up with five wins and missed out on a bowl game. To change this fortune, talent needs to be brought in, and we have to continue stacking good recruiting classes.

One of the weaknesses last season was in the secondary. Illinois gave up 228.1 yards per game through the air, which ranked No. 64 in the nation. Health and the transfer portal will be a big reason why that number should improve in 2024. In the future, that number will improve due to landing players like Desmond Straughton.

Straughton, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound safety out of Roseville High School in Michigan, recently committed to Illinois. He picked the Orange and Blue over a myriad of teams including the likes of Michigan State and Arizona State.

With 10 commitments thus far and a national recruiting ranking of No. 45 in the country, the Illinois football team needed to add a player like Straughton for the class of 2025. He is the No. 614 player in the country, which makes him the second-highest-rated recruit Illinois has landed for the 2025 class.

Straughton explained to the Writing Illini why he feels Illinois is the right landing spot.

“The coaches, culture, and the community,” said Straughton, “They made me feel like family, and the defense and how I fit into their defensive scheme.”

All of those program attributes are extremely important to any recruit who is trying to find a new football home. In the era of the transfer portal, if one of those key attributes falls short, some players pack it up and depart.

Illinois football commit Desmond Straughton knows what needs work in the locker room and on the field

Securing a commitment from Straughton was big not only for the Illinois class of 2025, but the roster will get a nice boost as well. The Illini have been looking for ball-hawking safeties since Sydney Brown departed for the NFL. Straughton just may be the answer, and the talented Roseville product has been developing his game off an All-Pro NFL player.

“I like Derwin James just because he is a physical safety,” said Straughton, “I love just watching film on him.”

James is a great player to model a game after. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and has made the All-Pro team in just six seasons in the NFL.

It is always good to have a goal of being as good as James at the NFL level, but there is still a high school career to finish up for Straughton. He is entering his senior year at Roseville, and he is looking to build on his solid junior campaign.

In 2023, Roseville managed to finish 8-4 overall and 3-2 in league play. Straughton’s Roseville team won the first two rounds of the Division II MHSAA State Championship but fell just short in the Elite 8.

To improve on that great season, Straughton knows what he needs to do to get over the hump.

“I need to improve on my leadership,” said Straughton, “From the football aspect, I need to work on my hip flexibility and getting in and out of my breaks.”

Being a student of the game is a great thing at the high school level. Straughton knows what a great safety looks like, as he watches an All-Pro in James. He knows what he needs to do to maintain a career at the next level as well. It is going to be fun to watch this kid develop on the football field.