Illinois Preseason Rankings

The Land of Lincoln is again a fertile ground for colleges to find talented recruits. Who are we watching closely as the season approaches and who are the state's best? Check out this preseason update for more.

ILLINOIS at a GLANCE
Prospects With D1/FBS Offers: 74
Prospects Committed: 34

SHOWTIME! - Prospects We are Watching Closely This Season

Rodney Coe - RB - Edwardsville
He's definitely a good athlete, and at 6'3, 247-lbs, he's very large. There is a lot of debate about whether he's a running back or something else at the next level. I believe he can play running back in college. That said, is he a 5-star, elite running back?

Chris Bryant - OG - Chicago Simeon
On film, he looked very strong, but raw. In person, he picked up techniques quickly and looked great at camps. I did not want to move him up into the 4-stars just based on camp, but he's on our list of first guys to re-evaluate in person for a possible move up. He improved each and every time out this summer.

DaVaris Daniels - WR - Vernon Hills
He's a super athlete, but our national scouts felt like he was not enough of a playmaker in watching full games as a junior. I've seen him do some special things on the field, and he's a guy who is fairly ranked as a 4-star, but could climb the positional rankings with a strong showing this season.

Adam Pittser - QB - Richmond Burton
Were his summer camp performances enough to push him into the state's elite? We're waiting to see what he does this fall still, but Pittser threw very well this summer. He still does not have a ton of offers, and his school typically is not too pass happy. Will they open it up more this year?

Mason Fuller - DT - Chicago Urban Prep
He has the build and size of a high level BCS player, but Fuller is relatively inexperienced. He improved with his technique as the summer went along, and we want to see if he carries that over into the games this year.

OFFERS PLEASE! - The first few games will be big for these prospects without offers

Charles Knowles - WR - Harvey Thornton
6'4, 185-lbs and caught 16 touchdowns last year in a good conference. Sounds like a recipe for offers, but Knowles still is not a household name. That should change soon.

Jacolby Owens - WR - Dolton Thornridge
The 6'3, 190-lb Owens is in a similar situation to Knowles, except he is not quite as polished. His upside is considerable though, and schools continuing to keep track of Dimitri Johnson and Mika'il McCall will get to see Owens too, so he'll have a chance to shine.

Jahwon Akui - RB - Chicago St. Rita
He's a compact back who runs tough and hard. He'll no doubt have a productive year for St. Rita, but will that bring about offers?

Andrew Elliott - WR - Joliet Catholic Academy
He's built like a college player, and catches the ball well. He could be a running back or fullback at the next level, and I think some school will take a shot on him.

Illinois Preseason Rankings