Fighting Illini football’s 2018 recruiting class hasn’t exactly gotten off to the best start, however the coaching staff may have a chance to boost their efforts in a big way this weekend.
According to multiple reports, four-star linebacker and top target Ayodele Adeoye will be taking a visit to Champaign this weekend. The news was first reported by 247Sports’ Gus Ramos ($).
VIP: Illinois set to host priority target on Friday. https://t.co/uQVh4Q9chu pic.twitter.com/gFuHaGL43V
— Gus Ramos (@G1Bound) May 9, 2017
Adeoye is rated as the No. 131 overall player in the nation by 247Sports. He currently boasts scholarship offers from 25 schools, including LSU, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisville, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound prospect took previous unofficial visits to Illinois in March and February.
Illinois has made Adeoye a huge priority in this class, which makes sense considering that Lovie Smith and Hardy Nickerson want a big-time playmaker in the middle of their future defense. Their efforts appear to be paying off because, in addition to this visit, Adeoye always seems to be tweeting about the Orange and Blue (for what little that’s worth, obviously).
The Fighting Illini have received just two verbal commitments to date. The first came from three-star quarterback Coran Taylor (IL), and he was eventually followed by three-star offensive lineman Julian Pearl (IL). So far, the duo ranks as the No. 12 class in the Big Ten.