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This is going to be a huge recruiting weekend for the Illini when Wisconsin come to town on Saturday night. According to 247Sports.com there are going to be a lot of recruits in Champaign watching the game on Saturday. And I mean a lot.
From Steve Wiltfong (I linked all the players to their 247 profiles):
Illinois is hosting the most exciting weekend in the Big Ten. Besides [running back Madre] London and [defensive end Chris] Slayton, senior defensive lineman Ryan Reese will be on-hand and several key underclassmen are expected including four-star receiver Miles Boykin, four-star quarterback Jack Beneventi, four-star linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., jumbo-athlete David Edwards, defensive tackle Kraig Howe, and sophomores in running back Kentrail Moran and outside linebacker Ethan Tuckey.
And here's what Wiltfong had to say about Chris Slayton..
Michigan State is the team to beat for Crete (Ill.) Monee defensive end Chris Slayton, but he says Illinois is recruiting him the hardest and he's expected in Champaign on Saturday for the Wisconsin game. Syracuse rounds out Slayton's top three.
...and Madre London.
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas running back Madre London has already taken official visits to Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan State, with the Spartans coming this past weekend. He'll head to Illinois this coming weekend with a decision expected in November. Michigan State may have pushed past Nebraska after his experience in East Lansing. We'll see what happens in Champaign.
And they aren't the only players visiting, as Rivals says running back Kendall Morris will be visiting this weekend as well. Morris isn't rated by anybody as of yet, but according to both 247's Rusty Mansell and former Illinois Rivals writer Jeff Johnson, Morris is a "sleeper" that's flying under the radar. After watching his junior tapes, I find it hard to believe he doesn't have any offers as of yet. The talent is obviously there.
I'm very happy to see Chris Slayton and Ryan Reese visiting because the Illini really need to add some defensive lineman to this 2014 class. There just isn't a whole lot of talent at the position on the roster, and with the Paul James situation unsettled at this point, it's a position of great need. A good defensive line is the quickest way to fix any defense.
As for the other visitors, I'm most excited to see Miles Boykin and Jack Beneventi visiting again. You may recall Boykin was the one who was talking about a package deal with him, Beneventi and receiver Flynn Nagel. Well both he and Beneventi have been spending a lot of time in Champaign in recent weeks for home games, and while I was initially under the impression that Beneventi was going to end up at Notre Dame, I think the Irish have backed off a bit in recent weeks. I mean, the fact that Notre Dame is hosting USC this weekend and Beneventi is visiting Champaign is a pretty strong indicator of how he's feeling at the moment, isn't it?
Hopefully all these visitors enjoy their time in Champaign this weekend and decide this is the place they want to be. And hopefully a win over Wisconsin is what seals the deal.
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