Football
Three Crystal Balls Entered for Illini Football Recruits
Three Crystal Balls Entered for Illini Football Recruits
Illinois Football has received three crystal balls on 247sports on the eve of a significant recruiting weekend for the class of 2025. The Crystal balls are for Athletes Desmond Straughton and Jershaun Newton and for running back, Cedric Wyche. Currently, the Illini have 9 total commitments in their class. Straughton is a versatile athlete with offers from Arizona State and Michigan State. Newton is the younger brother of former Illini star, Jer’zhan Newton. The young Newton supposedly wants to play Quarterback, however, does have positional versatility. Wyche is a smaller back with a lot of speed. Bret Bielema and Thad Ward have prioritized speed in the backfield given that they already have bigger backs in the room. Wyche paired with Ca’lil Valentine would provide some valuable speed alongside Kaden Feagin, Jordan Anderson, and Josh McCray.
A Weekend Dedicated to the Sunshine State.

© Bob Self / USA TODAY NETWORK
Per 247sports and Illiniinquirer.com, Illini Football will host a slew of priority recruits from June 21st to June 23rd. Bret Bielema has told the media that the big weekend held at the beginning of the month was geared toward in-state prospects. This current weekend of June 21st, on the other hand, is geared towards players hailing from Florida. This is certainly an organized and well-thought-out method by Bret Bielema and his staff. The Illini certainly have a lot of in-state prospects, however, they also have a good amount of ties to the Sunshine State.
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