Connect with us

Football

Bret Bielema reveals the recruit that got away from him and Illinois Football

Bret Bielema recruited Mack Sutter to Illinois until the very end.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Illinois Football. Bret Bielema. Josh Heupel. Music City Bowl. Photo Credit: Vincent Bruington. Armchair Illini.

At Big Ten media days, Bret Bielema was a part of a social media clip posted by CBS Sports asking, “Who was the recruit that got away?”. Bielema has been part of a historic turnaround of the Illini football program and has elevated every aspect of the program, particularly recruiting. He has landed far more in-state prospects than many, if not all, of his predecesors. However, there are a few that slipped through the Illini’s grasp as they worked their way back to relevance.

Which one stands out most to Bielema?

Dunlap, Illinois TE Mack Sutter

Mack Sutter was the top player in the state of Illinois in the 247Sports class of 2026 rankings. Bret Bielema and his staff had the Illini as one of Sutter’s final schools alongside Alabama, Ole Miss, and Ohio State. Though the Illini recruited their tails off to land a next-level talent in Sutter, they ultimately fell short. However, Bret Bielema and his staff tend to do an incredible job of maintaining relationships and keeping in touch with those around the player. In fact, senior wide receiver Collin Dixon was initially committed to the University of Wisconsin before flipping his commitment towards the end.  Dixon is just one example of a player that the Illini kept in close contact with.

Now, Dixon is one of the Illini’s top receivers and is a team captain. Should Sutter and Alabama not work out, look for the Illini to be right there ready for him. In this day and age, anything is possible.

 

_____________________________________
Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! The Armchair team is proud to partner with Hamilton Walker’s Steak, Seafood, and Spirits. Reserve your table HERE. Enter our home game giveaways on our social media pages to win a $100 gift card.

We are also proud to partner with the Campus Ink Illini NIL Store! Use the code: ARMCHAIRILLINI for 15% off your purchase. Please subscribe to the Armchair Illini Podcast on YouTube here.

Above all, for feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. Additionally, please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around.

Finally, subscribe to our newsletter for more Illinois news! Go Illini

Related Topics:

Alex is the Owner of Armchairillini.com, your go-to source for in depth coverage of the Illinois Fighting Illini. Alex is also the head of content creation and editing on Armchair Illini. His expertise has landed articles featured in top media publications like Bleacher Report, YardBarker, Verbal Commits, CBS Sports and more.

Trending