Huge Get For Illinois

When Ron Zook took the helm at Illinois in January, he was already labeled as on of the best recruiters in the country. One of his best recruiting efforts was being able to pry away Reggie Mitchell from Michigan State. Mitchell left East Lansing for Champaign and has quickly become a dominant force for the Fighting Illini.

“Coach (Reggie) Mitchell is a huge reason why I gave Illinois my verbal commitment today,” said Jerry Brown, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound, defensive lineman, from St. Louis (Mo.) Vashon.

“Coach Mitchell and I spoke on a daily basis. He’s an honest man and he’s also easy to be around. I felt comfortable with Coach Mitchell and the rest of the Illinois coaches.

“I’m being recruited as a defensive lineman. I’ve played both tackle and end in high school. I could play either position at Illinois, it doesn’t matter to me. I just want to get on the field and hit somebody.

“I also struck up a good relationship with Isiah Williams. He’s the future for Illinois at quarterback and I’m sure we can turn things around quickly at Illinois. Isiah helped recruit me and now I’m going to start recruiting.”

Brown told Scout.com that he had offers from Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Louisville, Indiana, Michigan State and Michigan State.

“I’ve been starting on the varsity since I was a freshman on the defensive line,” Brown said. “This past year, I had 78 solo tackles and 12 sacks. I also played a little tight end and had 51 receiving yards on 2 catches. I was also named all-state.”

Brown attended the Scout.com All-American Combine in Champaign this past April. This is yet another super get for Ron Zook and the Illini.