Inside Look: Illinois' 2021 Class

Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="60334" first="Samari" last="Collier"], 6’3, 215, DeSoto, TX On-film, Collier can throw the post route on a rope and does a good job of transitioning his body weight to get velocity behind his throws. He showed a strong arm and that he is willing to sit in the pocket and go through his progressions. Collier makes sure he positions his hips towards his target to ensure pinpoint accuracy. Samari was somewhat of an under the radar recruit, and Illinois came in as his first Power-Five offer and scooped him up. Offensive Line [player_tooltip player_id="20295" first="Josh" last="Gesky"], 6’5, 275, Manteno, IL I first saw Josh's film a few months back and had spoken to one Power-Five coach who was very high on him. Since then, he's picked up quite a few offers and eventually gave the Illini his commitment. On film, Josh explodes off the snap, plays with a low pad level and great knee drive. He shows great movement skills and is consistently looking for work as a run blocker. [player_tooltip player_id="37170" first="Brody" last="Wisecarver"], 6’5, 295 Osage, MO Last fall, Wisecarver was a member of DeSmet Jesuit's State Title team that was absolutely loaded with Division I prospects. His family subsequently moved out of the St. Louis area, and he's now playing his senior season at Osage High School. This is a massive human who can run and plays with a heavy-duty punch. He showed that he can easily reach opposing defensive linemen and will give his back an easy read to cut off of. Brody had multiple Power-Five offers and turned them down to head to Champaign. [player_tooltip player_id="20291" first="Zach" last="Barlev"], 6’4, 275, Plainfield East, IL I've seen Zach in person, and the thing that sticks out to me the most is how well put together he is for a high school offensive lineman. He's got a great frame and solid feet to go with it. Barlev is another kid who can move and showed that he has the ability to get to cornerbacks in the screen game. To me, he's at his best as a pass protector and has shown the ability to redirect against the pass rush. <img class="alignnone wp-image-51429" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/09/6105D694-6C01-4101-9DE0-49A332BD0B27-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="353" height="470" /> [player_tooltip player_id="20288" first="Josh" last="Kreutz"], 6’2, 270, Loyola, IL I'm telling you, if this kid was two inches taller, he'd have every offer in the country. I’m not sure there is a bigger [player_tooltip player_id="20288" first="Josh" last="Kreutz"] fan of Kreutz than myself. This kid has the bloodlines, as his dad was the Chicago Bears center for years, and he shows that same nasty streak his dad played with. Josh is a true center prospect who plays with excellent hand placement and will continually beat opposing defensive linemen to the point of attack. Right now, the Illini's current center Doug Kramer is a redshirt senior. If he elects to forgo his extra year via the COVID-19 waiver, I fully expect Kreutz to compete for a job on day one. Wide Receiver Pat Bryant, 6'2, 180, Atlantic Coast, FL: Bryant is looked at as the prized recruit of the Illini's 2021 class. He turned down the likes of Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, Penn State, among others to head to Champaign. On film, he can drop his hips at the top of his route and stop on a dime. He can break tackles in space and outrun just about every defender. He's got crips cuts that break defender's ankles and can run every route on the route tree. Bryant is a well-polished wide receiver prospect, and I expect him to come in and compete for time right away. <img class="" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EHVGxk1XkAAxYfH?format=jpg&name=large" alt="Image" width="388" height="518" /> Chevalier Brenson, 6'4, 200, Christian Brothers, MO This is a long wide receiver prospect who shows shades of a possession type receiver. Benson is a fantastic blocker and can help spring big gains via a bubble on the perimeter. He's a natural at high pointing the football and will use his big frame to box out defensive backs. He's got deceptive build up speed and will at times run by defenders. Defensive Line [player_tooltip player_id="33793" first="Sedarius" last="McConnell"], 6’2, 265, Westlake, GA Hailing from the same high school program as Patriot's quarterback Cam Newton, McConnell chose the Illini over offers from the likes of Minnesota, Louisville, Pittsburgh & Duke. On film, Sedarius shows violent hands and an impressive push-pull technique. He's sporty and can line up as a true five-technique, but also can kick down and play defensive tackle as a three-technique. He plays fundamentally sound and will keep his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage when unblocked. He's shown on tape that he gives interior offensive linemen fits with his quickness. My guess is he will play as a three-technique for the Illini in their 4-3 scheme. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="32926" first="Trevor" last="Moffitt"], 6’1, 190, South Sumter, FL Last fall, Moffitt had plenty of production, totaling 110 tackles, 22 tackles for loss & 11 sacks, on his way to being named First Team All-State. The first thing that jumps out to you on tape is his sheer closing speed. Moffitt does a great job of running through ball carriers and speeding his feet once he engages and makes contact. He's a relentless blitzer and won't stop until he has the quarterback within his grasp. I really like this pickup for the Illini, as yes, Moffitt does need to add some weight in the near future, but I think they got a very talented football prospect and a hidden gem. [player_tooltip player_id="32930" first="Dylan" last="Rosiek"], 6’1, 210, East Lake, FL Rosiek showed on film that he's a high effort kid who won't stop until the whistle is blown. He's a true inside linebacker prospect who can unlock his hips and drop into coverage or run with backs out of the backfield. He shows good closing speed and the ability to step up and fill any gap inside the tackle box. Rosiek does a great job of scraping backside and will take good angles to ensure that he makes the tackle. Defensive Back Kalen Villanueva, 6’1, 205, Justice, VA When you turn on the tape, you'll see a cornerback prospect with a crisp backpedal that also doubles as a running back on offense. Kalen has the ability to get off blocks and deliver a blow in space on ball carriers. He's got good recovery speed and knows how to play through a wide outs hands. It's clear the Illini have put a premium on cornerbacks in this class. [player_tooltip player_id="32863" first="Joriell" last="Washington"], 6’2, 185, Fort Myers, FL Washington is a hard-hitting safety prospect who will come up & run the alley for you and leave you with no worries in run support. On film, he's a solid open-field tackler who will come to balance and can easily make tackles in space. In 2019, he doubled as a wide receiver for Fort Myers and was willing to do whatever for his team. He showed that he could come up with a big catch in a crucial situation or put a block on a defender that springs a long run. As a DB, Washington does a great job reading the quarterback and breaking once the QB follows through with his off-hand away from the ball. Demond Snyder, 6’, 175, Tampa Catholic, FL I believe Demond's best position on the field is as a centerfielder playing free-safety. He's a rangy prospect with great instincts and anticipation. On top of that, he's shown the ability to roll up and guard wide receivers out of the slot and can fight off blocks to make tackles on bubble screens. This kid always seems to be around the football, and it consistently leads to him making a big play for his team. Synder has a great mixture of tackling ability and ball skills, making him one of my favorite prospects in the Illini's 2021 Class. <img class="" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EPtpt_-WAAESHZQ?format=jpg&name=large" alt="Image" width="344" height="458" /> Tyler Strain, 5’10, 180, Pace, FL Strain was electric on the offensive side of the ball for Pace and was a serious mismatch for cornerbacks. On the defensive side, you can see the 4.4 speed as he was able to run with any wideout he went up against. He's got loose hips and knows when to open once a wide receiver has broken his cushion. He does a good job of pushing off his outside leg in off-man coverage to ensure he doesn't give up his inside leverage. [player_tooltip player_id="32836" first="Daniel" last="Edwards"], 6’, 175, Winter Park, FL This young man has long arms and uses them to his advantage to break up passes. On film, he did a great job of leaning into the receiver and using his momentum to create little room for the quarterback to drop a pass between his target and the sideline. Edwards is a true zone corner who is most comfortable with his eyes steadily on the quarterback, ready to read route concepts. Overall, he's a fundamentally sound cornerback prospect who understands the game and how you're trying to beat him. Athlete [player_tooltip player_id="33722" first="Prince" last="Green"], 6’2, 190, Griffin, GA When I took a look at Mr. Green's film, I was impressed by how crisp and tight his breaks were. He played in a press bail scheme in high school that had him have his eyes on the quarterback at all times. He did a good job of recognizing intermediate routes and sticking his foot in the ground to come up and disrupt the pass. He played wide receiver as well, but with his pure size at 6'2 and athleticism, I fully expect the Illini to line him up at cornerback.