The Illinois football team is trying to build a great program, and honestly, we are on the doorstep right now.
One great 10-win season doesn’t make you a great program. Stacking those 10-win seasons and knocking off good teams is what can make you great. The Illini are on the verge of this, as success has started to pile up, and recruiting is going well.
On Wednesday, Ismael Camara took to social media to announce that he has now received a scholarship offer from Illinois. This wasn’t just a regular announcement, though.
Camara’s post included some interesting details about head coach Bret Bielema.
“When a Coach who owns a Super Bowl Ring and has sent 165 of his players to the NFL comes to see you… you stand up straight, say “Yes Sir”, and pay attention. I want to thank Coach @BretBielema for his time, attention, and advice this week. And I am so humbled by his invitation to join @IlliniFootball.
When a Coach who owns a Super Bowl Ring and has sent 165 of his players to the NFL comes to see you… you stand up straight, say “Yes Sir”, and pay attention. I want to thank Coach @BretBielema for his time, attention, and advice this week. And I am so humbled by his… pic.twitter.com/9ULs6YlqQd
— 4🌟Ismael’’BIGISH’’Camara (@Only1_iscamara) June 4, 2025
This is a massive offer from Illinois, too. Camara is a 6-foot-6, 330-pound offensive tackle from Gilmer High School in Texas. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 95 player in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 10 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 15 player coming out of Texas.
You got a glimpse of what Bret Bielema does on the Illinois football recruiting trail
Camara has all of the top teams in the country after him. He has roughly 23 scholarship offers with teams like Alabama, Florida, and Baylor, among others, all vying for his commitment.
I do read into Camara’s post a little bit, too. It gives you an idea of what Bielema does on the recruiting trail. It is smart of him to open that big box and slide on that Super Bowl ring from 2019 when he was with the New England Patriots, and show it off to recruits.
Having that ring is firepower that not many coaches have on the recruiting trail. Bielema is also touting his ability to put players into the NFL as well. That is a move that I expected, but it is good to hear it recognized by such an elite player.
Illinois is going fishing, and we are trying to catch a big one in Camara. He is one of the best players in 2027, and it would be nice to start our 2027 class with a top 100 recruit.