Illinois football adds some big in-state transfers to help bolster recruiting class

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The University of Illinois’ Class of 2019 team recruiting ranking won’t exactly fire up the Fighting Illini fan base. According to the latest updated Rivals.com team rankings, they’re ranked as the 66th best recruiting class in the nation. But a handful of well known, recently added in-state transfers --plus another top-ranked star from the St. Louis area-- has provided big time excitement to the football program this winter.

Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith has added three transfers, spearheaded by two high profile in-state names. First is WR Jeff Thomas, an East St. Louis product who is coming in by way of the Miami Hurricanes. He was a Top 100 player in the nation in the Class of 2017, as well as the Illinois’ top ranked recruit. Next is former Carterville standout Luke Ford. Ford, a tight end and former Georgia Bulldog, was a Top 100 player in the nation in the Class of 2018. He was also the state's top-ranked recruit. Also join the Fighting Illini this spring will be Oklahoma graduate transfer A.D. Miller. He was a three star-ranked receiver from Bishop Dunne HS in Texas in the Class of 2015.

How big is the addition of two former top-ranked names from Land of Lincoln for the Fighting Illini’s recruiting efforts?

"It's really big on a few different levels," according to OrangeandBlueNews.com's publisher Doug Buschon. "Adding both Thomas and Ford gives the offense some instant weapons in the passing game in an offense that ran the football really well last season. It's also big for recruiting purposes-- especially for in-state kids when you can add the top-ranked in-state recruits from the Class of 2017 and 2018."

Both Thomas and Ford asked for --and were granted-- scholarship releases. Both Thomas and Ford pointed toward family issues and wanting to play closer to home. 

Illinois also added to an already-strong St. Louis area recruiting effort on Saturday, as they added a verbal commitment from three star-ranked ILB Shammond Cooper. The 6-foot-2, 205 pound Cooper hails from Trinity Catholic HS in St. Louis. He made his announcement live on national TV at the annual All-American All-Star Game from San Antonio and is the third high school name from the St. Louis area committed to the Illinois for the Class of 2019. Cooper will join Trinity Catholic teammate Isaiah Williams, a four star-ranked athlete (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) along with DE Moses Okpala (6-foot-7, 250 pounds), another St. Louis native from Laude Horton Watkins High. Belleville West’s three star-ranked DE Keith Randolph (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) is another Class of 2019 gem from the greater St. Louis area joining Lovie Smith and company. 

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