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No matter the sport, a coach’s work is never done. Coaching staffs are working round-the-clock to find players to augment their respective rosters. So why not talk about some football crootin’ in mid-June?
On Monday, the Illini football program received a verbal commitment from 2020 defensive tackle Quinton McCoy. a 6-foot-2, 260-pounder from Valrico, Florida, who made the announcement via Twitter:
PLEASE RESPECT MY DECISION ‼️ ......COMMITTED @Bdale_Football @UICoachClark @LovieSmith pic.twitter.com/keiYNz1Ti5
— Quinton McCoy (@QuintonMcCoy30) June 10, 2019
#Illini land priority DT Quinton McCoy during unofficial visit. Staff loves this kid. https://t.co/0qkyJZnzAl https://t.co/dawTqBQpws
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) June 10, 2019
While not being ranked by any major recruiting sites, McCoy was pursued by Power 5 schools Iowa State and Louisville, with offers from FIU, South Florida, Toledo, Southern Miss, Bowling Green and Georgia Southern.
A quick glance at his highlights tells you why Lovie and his staff would want this kid in Champaign. McCoy is relentless, quick off the snap and swarms to the football. He already has decent size and could be an absolute beast with the help of the Illini’s strength and conditioning coaches.
Obviously, there’s a long way to go between now and National Signing Day 2020 — McCoy hasn’t even taken his official visit yet — but it looks like the Illini may have gotten themselves a steal.