OL Evan Kirts commits to Illinois Football

Evan Kirts, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound, 3-star lineman from Brother Rice High School in Chicago, verbally committed to Illinois today.

This commitment, combined with the recent addition of Jakai Clark to the class, adds some much needed depth to a position that will need it in the coming years.

Kirts will likely start at tackle, his natural position, but he'll need a few years in the weight room before he's a Big Ten caliber lineman.

That being said, there's a lot to like about this commitment. He has a lot of similarities to sophomore Alex Palczewski. His film hints at a late bloomer who has tenacity and loves to finish blocks all the way to the ground.

He has a long frame that, with added weight, could be hard for defensive linemen to disengage from. He has good footwork, but tends to play a bit high-as all young linemen do- and needs to keep his hands inside and not punch so much.

This is the kind of lineman a school like Iowa or Wisconsin take, and by year three or four, is an All-Big Ten First-Team performer.

He'll also have the luxury of sitting and observing his first couple of years as well, as Illinois has some emerging depth amongst the sophomore and freshman class this year.

All in all, this is a nice pick up for a team that needs to stack good offensive linemen classes on top of each other year after year.

Evan Kirts is the 11th commitment of the 2019 class and the second offensive line commit.

For vintage inspired, high quality, and well-designed University of Illinois apparel, check out Fourth and Kirby, and look for the TCR Collection while you’re at it!