Writing Illini
Fansided

Superstar freshman wide receiver adds Illinois to his offer list

Illinois is going to need big-time play-making down the road, and this recruit would be an incredible addition.
ByRees Woodcock|
Oct 5, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of an Illinois Fighting Illini helmet before a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of an Illinois Fighting Illini helmet before a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Bret Bielema lost some serious talent this offseason, with a couple of playmaking wide receivers departing the program.

Illini fans didn’t get to see much of Zakhari Franklin, but he was a reliable No. 2 option for Luke Altmyer. Our No. 1 pass-catcher, Pat Bryant, helped take some pressure off of Franklin, and with all of the pressure on Bryant, he was still able to lead Illinois to great heights.

Both talented wide receivers are gone, and for the foreseeable future, Illinois will be looking for players to replace them. An option in a few years could end up being Damarion Mays.

Mays is a 6-foot-3, 184-pound wide receiver from North Crowley High School in Texas. He isn’t rated or ranked yet due to being in the class of 2028, but Mays has already started to rack up the scholarship offers.

Even with Mays only entering his sophomore season in high school, he already has roughly 21 scholarship offers, with some of the bigger programs being Georgia, Nebraska, and Miami, to name a few.

Illinois is going to have to back up the Brinks truck to land someone like Damarion Mays

Mays is a wild player to watch. This kid is insane, and he is just finishing up his freshman year. He has all of the things you want in a receiver. He is quick and can burn the secondary. Mays has great hands. He can take hits and bounce off and rack up the yards-after-catch. On top of all of that, he is great at running routes.

As a freshman, Mays lit the world on fire. He played in 10 games and had 68 receptions for 1640 yards and 14 touchdowns. That isn’t a typo. Those are incredible numbers that will continue to improve.

Mays doesn’t even have his license, and he is already putting up those numbers on his varsity squad. By the time he is a senior, he is going to have every program drooling over him. I can’t even imagine what NIL dollars it will take to secure his commitment.

Illinois is at least trying to get in the door. I am not sure we can compete with what this kid will command, though. His career is one to keep an eye on, though.

Home/Illinois Football Recruiting