Schools line up to offer Illinois LB

The Land of Lincoln is loaded with D-1 talent. Nobody is hotter right now than Bolingbrook's Ryan Bain.

Ryan Bain, a 6-foot-2, 258-pound linebacker from Bolingbrook, Illinois has become one of the hottest prospects in the Midwest.

Bain received offers #8 and 9 last week from Kansas State and Louisville. Ryan received offer number 10 over the weekend when a Fed-Ex letter arrived from Wisconsin and Barry Alvarez.

Offer #11 came this morning from Kansas and #12 came this afternoon from a personal phone call from Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.

“Coach (Ferentz) talks just like a regular guy,” said Bain. “We had a good conversation and he told me Iowa was offering me a scholarship. Iowa wants me to play defensive line.

“My favorites are Oregon, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, Michigan State and Kansas State. I don’t have a leader.”

Bain led Bolingbrook in tackles last year with 128 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and five sacks.

If Iowa is able to sign Bain in February, that would be the third prospect in three years that Raider head coach John Ivlow has sent to Iowa City.

Running back A.J. Johnson signed with Iowa in 2003, Kyle Williams signed with the Hawks in February. Can Kirk Ferentz and Lester Erb make it three in a row?

Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, Purdue and Michigan State should provide some stiff competition.