June 22 – CAMPAIGN – Illinois turned its first big recruiting weekend in June into a trio of commitments from three-star in-state recruit Cameron Brooks and a pair of three-star prospects from Indianapolis, wide receiver Davion Chandler and defensive forward Isaías Branco.
The dozen candidates Illinois received that first weekend in June included most of the players committed to the program, including quarterback Carson Boyd. That weekend also helped advance the recruiting efforts of high-profile recruits such as Robinson (Florida) four-star edge rusher LaJesse Harrold and East St. Louis four-star athlete LaJesse Harrold.
Illinois is hosting another group of Class of 2025 recruits this weekend. Half a dozen prospects from Florida or Michigan, the former being fertile recruiting ground and the latter an area the Illini are trying to hit harder under co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Terrance Jamison and new cornerbacks coach Corey Parker leading the way.
“We’re going to have a pretty significant group,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “We’re getting pretty full. We knew this was going to be a small class of the 2025 group. Where we are, we’ve been very selective about who we bring in. We’ve canceled some kids that we just don’t have the opportunity to bring anything else in.”
June has emerged as the most productive month on the Illinois recruiting calendar as far as commitments go. It is a month that Bielema chose for this purpose, given the rules and visiting times in the spring. They start April 15, at the end of spring practice, and May doesn’t work in Champaign because the current team is barely on campus.
“June kind of embodies everything,” Bielema said. “They get to see our players working out. One of the highlights of the weekend for me as a coach is seeing our kids working out on the grass with our team.”
Illinois also hosts student-athlete panels during official visit weekends, where current players answer questions from potential recruits and their parents. The Illini coaches are not in the room during this time. This weekend’s panels will likely be heavy on the Florida team’s natives, with two-thirds of the visitors also from the Sunshine State.
“Some kids want positional players,” Bielema said. “Some kids like people they know personally or someone from their area. … It’s literally our best recruiting month because our players are our best recruiters. No matter what we say as coaches, no matter what happens. wow. team thinks that the 48 hours they are here on campus and the time they spend with our student-athletes and our support staff ends up being the biggest deal.”
