Illinois opens up Big Ten play on Saturday, and the Illini will do so in front of a strong list of recruiting visitors.
Jarrod Clements is one of the key commits for Illinois in the class of 2013.
Tentative list of the top names attending.
Commits
Aaron Bailey, QB, Bolingbrook (Ill.) High
Jarrod Clements, DE, Trotwood (Ohio) Madison
Reon Dawson, CB, Trotwood (Ohio) Madison
Caley Day, DB, Hilliard (Ohio) Darby
Dawuane Smoot, DE, Groveport (Ohio) Madison
Top 2013s
We’re hearing Westerville (Ohio) South athlete Marcus Ball will be in Champaign on an unofficial visit.
Top 2014s
Michael Barwick, DT, Cincinnati (Ohio) Summit Day: Has an early offer from Western Michigan.
Dominique Booth, Top247 WR, Indianapolis (Ind.) Pike: Booth will only be in town during the morning before heading up to East Lansing for the Michigan State-Ohio State game according to his father. Booth has 13 BCS scholarships including an offer from the Illini.
Top247 QB DeShone Kizer has an Illinois offer.
Dorian Hendrix, LB, Dayton (Ohio) Wayne: Has an offer from Illinois as well as ones from Bowling Green, Buffalo, Ohio and Toledo.
Brandon Hines, DT, Thiensville (Wis.) Homestead: Attended an Illinois junior day back in February.
Deshone Kizer, Top247 QB, Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic: Illinois, Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska and Syracuse are a few of the schools to extend an early scholarship.
Matt Morrissey, S, Lincolnshire (Ill.) Stevenson: Morrissey’s father played linebacker at Michigan State before a 10-year career in the NFL, which included a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears in 1985.
Zach Novoselsky, OT, Lincolnshire (Ill.) Stevenson: His father played tight end for the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
Nathan Oquendo, OL, Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel: Purdue has already offered. Oquendo’s visit is tentative because of morning workouts with his own program.
Gelen Robinson, DE/OLB, Saint John (Ind.) Lake Central: One of the top prospects in Northern Indiana, Robinson was All-State in football, wrestling and track as a sophomore. The son of former NBA player Glenn Robinson Jr.
Alonzo Saxton, CB, Columbus (Ohio) Bishop Hartley: Illinois, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Purdue and Toledo have offered.
Oak Park (Ill.) River Forest DE/OLB Nile Sykes is one of the Illini's top in-state targets in 2014.
Enoch Smith Jr., Top247 DT, Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel: One of the state’s top prospects, Smith has an Illinois offer as well as scholarships from Cincinnati, Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue among others. Smith said his visit is tentative because of morning workouts.
Nile Sykes, DE/OLB, Oak Park (Ill.) River Forest: Illinois, Purdue, Northern Illinois and Toledo have offered Sykes.
Kyle Trout, Top247 OT, Lancaster (Ohio) High: Illinois offered back in June. Also has offers from Cincinnati and Michigan State among others.
Denzel Ward, OT, Chicago (Ill.) Hales Franciscan: A big offensive tackle prospect holding an early offer from Purdue.
Nic Weishar, Top247 TE/WR, Chicago (Ill.) Marist: One of the state’s top players, Weishar has scholarships from the likes of Illinois, Boston College, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.
Parrker Westpahl, Top247 CB, Bolingbrook (Ill.) High: Michigan and Ohio State may have made the biggest impression on Westphal this summer but he's intrigued by the Illini and is visiting with his teammate Aaron Bailey, a class-of-2013 Illinois commit.
Ethan Wolf, TE, Minster (Ohio) High: The Illini have offered along with Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Ohio and Toledo.
Top 2015s
Kei Beckham, CB, Dayton Trotwood-Madison: Has an early offer from Illinois.
Brennan Bosch, OL/DL, Saint Charles (Ill.) East: Has an early offer from Illinois.
Dre Brown, RB, DeKalb (Ill.) High: Shined at the Illinois NFTC during the summer.
Nick Dillon, DT, Lincolnshire (Ill.) Stevenson: One of the state’s top linemen in the sophomore class.
Cameron Green, WR, Lincolnshire Stevenson: Emerging as one of the top skill players in the state in 2015. Father Mark Green played for the Chicago Bears from 1989-1992.
- Steve Wiltfong
- National Recruiting Writer - 247Sports