Illini Sign Top-35 Class on First Day of Early Signing Period
Lovie Smith and staff add top-tier talent to young squad
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith announced Wednesday the signing of 11 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during first day of the early signing period.
“The Illinois Football family got better today,” said Smith. “The young men who have chosen to join our program will help us take another step toward our eventual destination as champions. We have added excellence as people, their families and as players. This is one of the most exciting days in a young football player’s life, and we can’t wait to welcome them to campus in Champaign-Urbana.
“Several of these young men have been committed and unwavering for quite some time, and we appreciate their loyalty. We continue adding pieces to our puzzle, and fully expect each of these young men to develop and contribute to our eventual success. With only eight scholarship seniors leaving after last season, we always knew this class would be small in numbers, but we made up ground with high level of talent.”
Signing Class Notes (as of 12/19 at 2 pm)
» The class, thus far, includes 11 players total: five from the state of Illinois, three from Texas, two from Missouri (both from St. Louis), and one from Florida.
» Average recruit rating of .8641 by 247Sports is the highest rated recruiting class in the online recruiting era (since 2002), edging the 2009 class (.8561).
» The 2019 class ranks 31st in the nation by average recruiting ranking, the highest Illinois class since 2007 (30th).
» The current class also ranks seventh in the Big Ten by average, the highest since 2008 (sixth).
» 2019 signees DB Marquez Beason (247sports rating of .9613, No. 84) and QB Isaiah Williams (247sports rating of .9502, No. 109), are the highest rated Illini recruits since DB Terry Hawthorne in 2009 (No. 72), and the highest duo since Arrelious Benn (No. 12) and Martez Wilson in 2007 (No. 15).
» 2019 QB recruit Isaiah Williams (.9502, No. 109) is the highest ranked quarterback signee since Isiah Juice Williams in 2006 (.9702, No. 69)
» The class is balanced, with six offensive players (1 QB, 2 RB, 1 WR, 1 TE, 1 OL) and five defensive players (3 DL, 2 DB).
» All 11 signees are expected to enroll at Illinois in summer 2019.
» With only eight scholarship seniors departing, the class is 2019 was expected to be small in numbers.
ILLINOIS FOOTBALL 2019 EARLY SIGNEES (11)
| NAME (click name for bio) | POS. | HT / WT | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL |
| Joseph Thompson | DB | 5-10 / 160 | Chicago, Ill. | Phillips Academy |
| Nick Fedanzo | RB | 6-0 / 200 | Lombard, Ill. | Montini Catholic |
| Evan Kirts | OL | 6-5 / 250 | Evergreen Park, Ill. | Brother Rice |
| Isaiah Williams | QB | 5-10 / 170 | St. Louis, Mo. | Trinity Catholic |
| Seth Coleman | DL | 6-5 / 200 | Melbourne, Fla. | Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy |
| Kyron Cumby | RB | 5-8 / 175 | Plano, Texas | Plano |
| Moses Okpala | DL | 6-7 / 250 | St. Louis, Mo. | Ladue Horton Watkins |
| Griffin Moore | TE | 6-4 / 225 | Bloomington, Ill. | Bloomington |
| Marquez Beason | DB | 5-11 / 175 | Duncanville, Texas | Duncanville |
| Casey Washington | WR | 6-2 / 175 | Pflugerville, Texas | Pflugerville |
| Keith Randolph | DE | 6-5 / 270 | Belleville, Ill. | Belleville West |