Three-star wide receiver Carlos Orr commits to Illinois

Three-star wide receiver Carlos Orr commits to Illinois.

Illinois’ 2024 recruiting class continues to grow and is up to nine commitments. The ninth commit to the class is three-star wide receiver, Carlos Orr. Per 247sports, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound wide receiver is the 122nd-ranked wide receiver in the country and the 30th-ranked prospect in Tennessee. Recruited by wide receivers coach George McDonald, Orr received offers from Buffalo, ECU, Coastal Carolina, and Western Michigan. Orr had 55 receptions for 1,035 yards and nine touchdowns for Gatlinburg Pittman, leading them to the Tennessee 3A high school playoff quarterfinals.

It’s a FamILLy affair.

Bielema and the recruiting staff have done a tremendous job of ensuring recruits know what the culture of the football program is. As a result, recruiting has picked up. Orr committed to the Illini because of the family atmosphere promoted at Illinois. “I really like the staff,” Orr said after an April visit to Illinois. “They seem to really care about their players. It seems like Illinois is going in the right way, going back on winning — maybe winning championships. …I really like [McDonald]. He has a lot of belief in me. He thinks I can play at this level, so I like that.”

What it means

Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney, Jr. and receivers coach George McDonald have sought to improve the receiver room the last two recruiting cycles and have done a fine job. The 2024 recruiting class includes Tysean Griffin and now Orr. The Illini have prioritized length and speed over the last two cycles. Orr is another receiver — including Ashton Hollins, Malik Elzy, and Collin Dixon– that are all over 6-foot-2. The Tennessee high school product is raw and has to transition from small school football to the Big Ten. Lunney and the offensive staff like Orr’s tools. He’s long and has learned how to use that length. The offensive staff like his large catch radius, and he shows good speed off the line of scrimmage.