Illinois football targeting TCU commitment for the class of 2025

The Illinois football team is trying to go into Texas and pry away an already committed recruit.

Recruiting is the wild wild west these days, and the Illini are playing the game. While Bret Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff have done a great job in the first three recruiting classes, the class of 2025 has lagged behind thus far.

The Illini currently sit with the No. 66 class in the country for 2025, and honestly, that isn’t good enough to compete in the Big Ten. We need to get more players into this class and get around the top 50 or inside if possible.

A player like Julius Simms would help the cause. He is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety from Whitehouse High School in Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1079 player in the class of 2025. He is also the No. 88 safety in the country and the No. 168 player coming out of Texas.

This past Tuesday, Simms took to social media to announce that Illinois has extended him a scholarship offer.

The Illini looking to get into the game for Simms is interesting. Not only is he from Texas, but he is already committed. The talented safety made his pledge to TCU back in mid-June.

Keep an eye on the Illinois football recruitment of TCU commit Julius Simms

Simms plays with great energy on the football field. He isn’t going into a tackle looking for a pillow fight. This kid is ready to hit and hit hard. Simms’s burst into the offensive player gives me signs of a great safety. He is someone who can run down a ball carrier, and his vision jumps off the page.

I think Simms could really help the Illinois defense early on in his career. I am also curious about this scholarship offer by the Illini.

Is it worth the effort for Illinois to pursue a player who is already committed? It would be if they knew something. It is complete speculation, but maybe Illinois sees a crack in the commitment and is pouncing on the potential of working our way into his decision.

Keep an eye on this recruitment. Simms is a talented player who could be used in the Illinois defense early and often. Let’s see if we can make some ground up and get a visit from this kid.