CHAMPAIGN — Illinois football will officially welcome more than half of its Class of 2023 recruiting haul to the program this week with 15 players enrolling at the university this week.
Illini head coach Bret Bielema has lobbied for as many signees as possible to enroll early so they can get a jump-start on their development — both physically with strength and conditioning coach Tank Wright and spring practice and mentally by diving into the playbook and adjusting to new life as Big Ten football players and UI students. Hydraulic Pipe
Last year, nine prep players, two junior-college prospects and two transfers enrolled early at Illinois, including several who made immediate impacts: quarterback Tommy DeVito, offensive linemen Isaiah Adams and Zy Crisler, defensive lineman TeRah Edwards and wide receiver Hank Beatty.
This week, Illinois is expected to bring in 11 prep prospects, one junior-college transfer and three transfers as Bielema looks to build off a breakthrough 8-5 season (5-4 Big Ten) and ReliaQuest Bowl appearance. The Illini head coach clearly believes that early enrollment is advantageous for the players and the program.
“I really think the advantage of coming in during the January enrollment is a) they have a slower acceleration to the football world,” Bielema told Illini Inquirer in December 2021. “They come in during fall camp and it’s like full speed, a garden hose full of information coming at you, a fire hose full of information; and you’re practicing and you’ve got games, you’re hitting classes for the first time.
“They really get install twice and it just comes at a better pace and just human nature. Think about you were 18 years old and went to college; you come in in June and you really don’t leave until December. When you come in during January, you get a spring break in eight weeks, you get a three-week break about six weeks after that and you get another week before we start fall camp. It breaks up the monotony that much better.”
Meet the 15 players who are confirmed to enroll early at Illinois this month.
Welcome, Luke Altmyer — the likely QB1 for Illinois for the 2023 season and potentially a few seasons beyond that. The Ole Miss transfer received a four-star, .9100 rating from 247Sports. He is the No. 8 transfer quarterback in this class, according to 247Sports. He chose Illinois over interest from Baylor, Stanford, NC State, South Carolina, Auburn and Coastal Carolina. A former four-star prep prospect, Altmyer has three seasons of eligibility remaining and is in line to start for the Illini, which lost its top three options at the position: Tommy DeVito, Artur Sitkowski and Ryan Johnson.
Altmyer is a great talent but one that is quite unproven at this level. He has a limited sample size at the college level with more than half of his reps coming in relief of Matt Corral during the 2022 Sugar Bowl against Baylor. Still, the ceiling is high with Altmyer. He is the only four-star quarterback in the Illini quarterback room next season and the only quarterback with meaningful college snaps. Plus, he was in a very close quarterback competition with Jaxson Dart for a dynamic Lane Kiffin offense. During two seasons with the Rebels, Altmyer completed 28 of 54 passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Some growing pains should be expected, but Altymer showed at Ole Miss that he has the ability to complete some tough downfield passes and the ability to prolong plays and make plays with his legs.
Three-star Ardmore (Okla.) quarterback Cal Swanson committed to Illinois on June 6 over several lower-level offers. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound prospect is the No. 56 quarterback in the Class of 2023 while he is the No. 41 quarterback in the industry-generated Composite Rankings.
Illinois plans to be patient with Swanson and give him time to develop as a passer. He is an exciting athlete with great mobility and speed who can make plays with his physical gifts. His work ethic and processing are pluses as well, but the Illini won’t rush his development as he works on his footwork and mechanics and learns the offense.
Bret Bielema said: "He's not only a good quarterback, just a really good athlete. ...Just really got an ability to be very strong-armed. Very powerful athlete. Can run extremely well. ...He's a very, very talented player. Excited about him and his work ethic. ...I think the quarterbacks, anybody that can make something out of nothing when the plays break down and make something happen for your team is special. That's what he's got all over himself."
Kaden Feagin currently is the Illini’s second-highest-ranked prospect in the Class of 2023. According to the industry-generated Composite rankings, the 6-foot-2, 240-pound running back — the 2022 Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year — is the No. 332 overall prospect in the class and the No. 5 prospect in the state of Illinois. Feagin was the first commitment in the Illini’s 2023 class, picking Illinois in March over offers from Notre Dame, Iowa, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin and several others.
Playing quarterback for ALAH, (8-3), Kaden Feagin ran for 1,637 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. He also passed for 695 yards and nine touchdowns and returned a punt for a touchdown. A Class 2A all-state selection, He also starred on defense, totaling 82 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Feagin comes in with hype, a Big Ten-ready body and a high ceiling thanks to his size and athleticism, but he is making a big transition from small school Illinois football to the Big Ten, a bigger transition than Anderson who played a tougher Chicagoland schedule as a prep prospect. Also, Feagin has dealt with multiple injuries during the last few years, including an ankle injury.
Still, enrolling early allows Feagin to get in needed physical work with strength and conditioning coach Tank Wright and learn the playbook. With Josh McCray, Reggie Love , Aidan Laughery and Jordan Anderson ahead of him, Feagin should get time to develop before competing for a spot in the running back rotation. He could contribute on special teams, and eventually could be a candidate to play defense if there is a logjam in the running back rotation.
Bret Bielema said:“As soon as I popped on his film, I really thought he reminded me of some old-school running backs. At first, I didn’t realize how big he was. He looked big on film, and then the first time he came into my office, I was just blown away with his size, his athleticism, his maturity. Jen and her family have raised an incredible young man. I know I say that, but I mean it. He’s just got a little something to him that when he walks in the room, there’s a presence. He’s not an overly outspoken young man, but when he speaks, he speaks maturely.
Kenari Wilcher committed to Illinois in July over power-five offers from Indiana and Kentucky. Illinois originally recruited the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Florida native to play defensive back but now plans to play him at wide receiver. According to 247Sports, Wilcher is the No. 51 athlete in the Class of 2023, while he is ranked the No. 688 overall prospect in the class according to the industry-generated Composite Rankings. As a senior, Wilcher caught 58 passes for 1,516 yards and 15 touchdowns — making him among the most productive wide receivers in Florida. On defense, he had 44 tackles.
The Illini desperately need more speed and deep threats to threaten defenses downfield. The Illini this season missed Deuce Spann’s threat to beat a defense deep, and Wilcher — while a slot — does provide a speed threat. Combined with Hank Beatty, a more refined route runner with great hands, he provides Illinois with some future options and depth beyond current star Isaiah Williams . He may take time to refine his receiver skills under George McDonald, but we could see Wilcher playing a returner role early in his career.
Bret Bielema said: "Really, really impressive. Led the state of Florida in receiving in a couple different categories. Really sure-handed. Extremely explosive. Very dynamic player."
Colorado State transfer Tanner Arkin received a three-star, .8600 transfer ranking from 247Sports. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end out of Colorado Springs (Colo.), who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, had 14 receptions for 116 yards last season for the Rams.
The Illini lose Michael Marchese (seven receptions, 132 yards, 2 TDs) and Luke Ford (10 receptions, 88 yards), who went through senior day festivities. Arkin gives Illinois an experienced option to complement Tip Reiman (17 receptions, 156 yards, 1 TD) and make an immediate impact in the rotation at tight end as the current group of three freshmen tight ends develop: Henry Boyer , Naivyan Cargill and Owen Anderson .
According to 247Sports, Nathan Guinn is the No. 61 tight end in the Class of 2023, while he ranks as the No. 1762 overall prospect in the class according to the industry-generated Composite Rankings. Guinn committed to Illinois in June over offers from USF, Eastern Illinois and Stetson. According to MaxPreps, Guinn had seven receptions for 144 yards in five games as a senior.
Guinn is pretty new to the tight end position but shows naturally good hands and does a nice job of catching with his hands rather than letting the ball get into his body. He shows the quickness to break his routes and get separation. Guinn is lanky and will need to add a lot of strength at the Big Ten level. He's likely more of a split-out tight end to begin his career than one who will be a hand-on-the-ground tight end, though he does a nice job of blocking defensive backs on screen passes.
Guinn gives the Illini more length and dynamic receiving ability at tight end. He has an intriguing ceiling due to his skill, but he will need a few years to add strength and develop at a position he’s only played for a few years. In a year or two, he’ll likely compete with Naivyan Cargill and Owen Anderson for a spot in the rotation to complement a bigger blocker like Henry Boyer.
Bret Bielema said: "Long, athletic body. ...Very raw, long, athletic, runs extremely well. Performed well at a couple camps that drew the attention of not just us but a lot of other people. ...Just catches the ball extremely well."
Brandon Henderson was once committed to Iowa State but flipped his commitment to Illinois on Nov. 15. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound senior is the No. 32 offensive tackle prospect in the Class of 2023 and the No. 12 prospect in the state of Illinois, while the industry-generated Composite rankings slate Henderson as the No. 928 overall prospect in the class.
Henderson likely will begin his career at guard, though he has the potential to play tackle. He will probably spend his first year or two on the development team since he is just a few years into his football career. But he should have some really good examples in front of him in Julian Pearl, Avery Jones, Isaiah Adams , Jordyn Slaughter and Zy Crisler. In a year or two, Henderson could be in the competition for a starting guard spot with Dez’Mond Schuster , Joey Okla, Zachary Barlev, Clayton Leonard and others.
Bret Bielema said: "Just really athletic. I get excited. He plays both guard and tackle. ...He plays with really good extension. ...Plays with a really, really good demeanor. Just couldn't be more excited."
TJ McMillen was a Class 4A all-state selection last season, and the 6-foot-3, 270-pound offensive lineman committed to Illinois in May over power-five scholarship offers from Arizona State, Boston College, Duke, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, Syracuse, TCU and Texas Tech. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 76 interior offensive lineman in the Class of 2023 and No. 24 senior prospect in state of Illinois.
As the son of a coach, McMillen is really advanced technically and knows the game and position extremely well. He’ll need to continue adding strength. But after one year of development, he has the chance to get in the competition at center, along with Joey Okla, Josh Kreutz and others. McMillen has a really high floor and seems like a likely multi-year starter and is a potential team captain.
Bret Bielema said: "Runs extremely well. We watched his film and really liked him, but the actual decision to offer him was Coach Miller went and watched him play baseball and saw him run the bases. Just thought this was a guy who could come in. We'll probably play him at the center position. He really played center and tackle. ...Very, very physical player. Plays with a lot of attitude and demeanor."
Antwon Hayden committed to Illinois in March and chose Illinois over power-five offers from Missouri, Colorado and Mississippi State. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior is the No. 70 linebacker in the Class of 2023 and the No. 21 prospect in the state of Illinois. Hayden is the No. 997 overall prospect in the class, according to the industry-generated Composite rankings.
Andy Buh is doing a nice job of building a young but deep linebacker room and has a lot of candidates to eventually replace 2022 leading tackler Isaac Darkangelo in the rotation — and eventually Tarique Barnes and CJ Hart. Redshirt sophomore Kenenna Odeluga found a role this season as a pass-rush specialist, and Buh seems to trust Dylan Rosiek as a potential option. The staff also is very high on the future of long, violent freshman James Kreutz at middle linebacker, and Malachi Hood is an athletic, versatile option at weak side linebacker. It will be interesting to see how Hayden fits into that picture, but he may have a similar role as Odeluga early as a special teams contributor and pass-rush specialist. Hayden has the versatility to play off the edge or at the second level.
Bret Bielema said: "One of our best recruiters, a guy from East St. Louis. Excited to get back into East St. Lou with Coach Sunkett. Obviously, a state champ. What I love about him is he can play off the line of scrimmage but he also has some value on the line of scrimmage. He's a very athletic, explosive, dynamic player. Really think he brings a lot to the table. Does a lot of really good things coming off the edge. ...He's a great kid, a lot of personality and fun. But he plays angry, very angry, which is fun to watch."
Calvin Smith committed to Illinois in June over power-five scholarship offers from Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior is the No. 50 EDGE prospect in the Class of 2023, while Smith is the No. 928 overall prospect in the Class of 2023 according to the industry-generated Composite rankings.
Smith joins a talented outside linebacker room with several underclassmen, including Gabe Jacas, Alec Bryant and Jared Badie. Smith will need time to add strength to his frame and hone his technique at the college level, where he won’t be able to rely as much on his talent advantage. But Smith has top-notch burst off the line of scrimmage along with great length, which gives him the chance to be a great pass rusher at the next level. His natural ability to get after the quarterback could earn him a role early in dime packages, similar to what Alec Bryant did this past season, but he should have time to develop in a talented OLB room.
Bret Bielema said: "He's been coached. He's been taught. He's got extreme length. ...Really fast, quick burst. Very long. Very athletic. ...Just really bends in well. Pretty impressive young man overall."
Louisville transfer Nicario Harper received a three-star, .8800 transfer rating from 247Sports. Harper played just 38 snaps in four games at Louisville, but he was an AP First Team FCS All-American in 2020-21 at Jacksonville State after totaling 92 tackles, three interceptions and 2.5 tackles for loss. An injury limited him during the 2021 season, but he was still an all-conference selection after he totaled 54 tackles, two interceptions and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Harper is a hard-hitting in-the-box safety, who has often played as a hybrid linebacker/safety. That makes him a potential replacement for All-Big Ten safety Sydney Brown, though he has played a nickel-like role previously as well.
Pearl River C.C. freshman defensive back Kaleb Patterson from Byram (Miss.) committed to Illinois in mid-late December and has three years of eligibility remaining. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-2, 186-pound cornerback is the No. 27 JUCO prospect in the Class of 2023 and the No. 4 JUCO cornerback in the class. Patterson chose Illinois over scholarship offers from Indiana, Memphis, Coastal Carolina, South Alabama, Kent State, Troy and Jacksonville State.
No one is expecting Patterson to completely fill All-American Devon Witherspoon’s shoes, but Patterson is expected to compete to fill Witherspoon’s starting spot. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound cornerback, who has three years of eligibility remaining, adds much-needed length and strength to a cornerback room that is a bit small at the moment, and he brings much-needed experience to an Illinois secondary that returns just one upperclassman: starting cornerback Tahveon Nicholson . At worst, Patterson would fill Terrell Jennings’ role in the rotation, but we see him having a much-higher ceiling and having a really good chance to start. He’ll compete with Tyler Strain , Xavier Scott , Tyson Rooks , Elijah Mc-Cantos and company.
Bret Bielema said: "Couldn't be more impressed with his ability to cover. He's extremely long, 6-2 plus. I remember when Coach Henry and I saw his film, we were excited. Then we walked in his house and saw him for the first time, and we started high-fiving each other around the corner because we didn't realize how big he was."
Zachary Tobe originally committed to North Carolina but flipped his commitment to Illinois in August. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound defensive back also held power-five offers from Boston College, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Purdue and Tennessee. According to 247Sports, Tobe is the No. 107 safety prospect in the Class of 2023, while he is the No. 965 overall prospect in the class according to the industry-generated Composite rankings.
Tobe might be the most physically ready of the Illini's incoming freshmen defensive backs to make an early impact, and there is room to compete for playing time in a largely unproven secondary. Tobe does offer some versatility in that he could potentially play cornerback, nickel or safety.
Bret Bielema said: "Just a really opportunistic player. ...Very opportunistic player. Does a couple nice things with the ball after the catch. Runs extremely well. ...He and Saboor [Karriem] both are guys that play corner and safety that really gets you excited because that's kind of the uniqueness of what we do with Quan and some of our guys that play man-to-man on wide receivers as well as playing safety. Reallly like the way he fits into our system."
David Olano committed to Illinois over a scholarship offer from Air Force and preferred walk-on offers to Alabama and others. Kohl’s Kicking ranks the 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior the No. 10 kicker in the Class of 2023, while Olano is the No. 5 kicker in the industry-generated Composite rankings.
Illinois investing a scholarship in Olano suggests they think he will be their top kicker for several years. Caleb Griffin has one more year of eligibility remaining, so he likely will return as the top guy for one more year before giving way to Olano. The other option is redshirt sophomore Fabrizio Pinton, who was 7-for-7 on field goals this season, though his leg strength is not great on field goals or kickoffs. Olano showed at last week’s All-American Bowl — where he made field goals of 50 yards and 36 yards — that he could push for the job this season but certainly looks like the frontrunner to be the Illini’s kicker in 2024 and beyond.
Bret Bielema said: "We liked him on film, but he came in and worked our special teams camp. Three things with David. He's extremely bright, intelligent, great character. I think as a kicker you've got to have a guy who has that little personality to him so he checks the box there. Then leg talent-wise, he gets the ball up very quick. ...Accurate, accurate, accurate. Very powerful leg."
Declan Duley chose Illinois over a scholarship offer from Troy and preferred walk-on interest from Baylor, Miami and Michigan State, among others. Kohl’s Kicking ranks the 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior the No. 12 punter in the Class of 2023, while Duley is ranked the No. 4 punter according to the industry-generated Composite rankings.
Duley, who has completely changed his body during the last two years and now looks like a linebacker prospect, will immediately compete with Hugh Robertson, who struggled with consistency last season — though he ended on a high note in the bowl game — and will be a 30-year-old fourth-year sophomore next season. Duley undoubtedly will be the Illini’s long-term option at the position. Duley also has the versatility and leg strength off the tee to be in the mix on kickoffs.
Bret Bielema said: "He looks like an inside linebacker. He's built like a brickhouse. ...Left-footed punters, the ball comes off of their foot differently and causes a little bit of an issue for returners. A very unique preparation for teams we're playing. ...To have a left-footed punter, very excited to see this as he goes."
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