'Is Illinois recruiting Jon Asamoah? Best lineman in the state.'
Illini football news and notes...
*Illini pick up commitments…
-Recently Bret Bielema’s program picked up commitments from a top transfer/high school prospect.
Zakhari Franklin wide receiver Ole Miss-Picked Illinois over Washington…..reportedly still has some academic work to do….expect he will pass what’s needed to be eligible this fall……one year of eligibility remaining....last year transferred to Ole Miss from UTSA where he was coached by current Illini offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr....6-foot-1, 190-pounder can play boundary X/in the slot versatile...had a knee scope before the 2023 season...was never the same player/couldn't break into a loaded wide receiver group of Rebels…..looking for one more shot at glory....when healthy NFL caliber who can get separation from man coverage which the Illini need desperately.
Isaiah White defensive tackle Indianapolis Ben Davis High School-Committed to Illinois last Monday…..Really like White on film....legit 6-foot-3, 270-pounds......can play nose or strong side end in a 3-4 scheme...just makes plays/battles reminds of another former Illini Brandon Moore for all you old timers....hustler...Big big 'W' in recruiting for Bielema's program.
*Recruiting notes…
2025 Lancaster (Texas) linebacker Ke'Brion Winston visited Illinois over the weekend....committed to Cal last spring....Illini, Arkansas and Baylor now aggressively trying to flip....on film....heat seeking missile...makes plays all over the field...excellent sideline to sideline agility....listed at 6-foot-1, 200-pounds....might be 200-pounds more likely 5-foot-11 why the Longhorns/Aggies not after him...obviously plays bigger than size...why play at Cal (whatever conference they play in now?) when you can play in the Big Leagues? (B1G/SEC)…..priority recruit for Bielema's staff.
Clayton Lakatos wide receiver/safety Edwardsville (Ill.) High School-2025 prospect offered after an outstanding camp performance Saturday in Champaign….lists an Iowa State offer….6-foot-1, 190-pounder reminds of current Illini Matthew Bailey….at safety covers a lot of ground…..sure tackler…outstanding wide receiver….long strider so doubt you can play him in a lot of man coverage…center field safety….type of player the Iowa Hawkeyes have taken out of the state and won with for years.
*Illini football expected to welcome several visitors weekend of the 21st....
-Who knows if they all show up ‘recruiting is fluid’ as an Illini assistant said years ago…
Nick Clayton outside linebacker/rush end Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz High School-Also reported to be visiting USF same weekend as Illinois....6-foot-4, 210-pounder has offers/visits to Florida State, Illinois, USF, UCF, Nebraska, and Tulane...big motor.....burst/bend you look for off the edge....highlight tape so good...went and watched his season cut-ups not just big plays....goes hard even when play isn't in his area....blue-chipper...sadly reads like a Seminole lean.
Robert Jones III Vero Beach (Fla.) High School-Recently verballed to North Carolina State....physically looks ready to come in and play early.
Jershaun Newton athlete Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic High School-'Little' brother of Illini great Johnny Newton….listed at 6-foot, 190-pounds on film looks that size....plays quarterback and pass rushing defensive end/linebacker at Central Catholic...recruited as an athlete...can play slot receiver/running back/weakside linebacker or safety in college....don't know the level of competition….his junior tape filled with 'wow' plays passing/running the ball.......Illini in lead with South Carolina doing their best to steal him away.
Derrick Simmons line Frankenmuth (Mich.) High School-Listed at 6-foot-3, 270-pounds might not be that big….offers from majority of Big Ten schools including Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, and Northwestern....scheduled visits to Champaign, Gophers, Wildcats, Sparty and Boilermakers.…..again don't know the level of competition Frankenmuth plays...had to check to make sure his film wasn't sped up....excellent foot athlete...consistently wins the 2nd step playing both tackle/defensive end...size? reason the 'big boys' (Michigan/Ohio State) haven't offered? Should be a national recruit....liked him more as a tackle/guard than on defense and he is a Big Ten starter type on defense....priority recruit for Illini.
Desmond Straughton defensive back Roseville (Mich.) High School-Impressed at Illini camp getting a scholarship Saturday….B1G/SEC schools all after Straughton…considered one of the state’s top ten prospects…..5-foot-11, 180-pounder played free safety/nickel on his HUDL highlights…would play him at nickel (they are hard to find)…..tea leaves say Illini beating Sparty for the three-star prospect….happens would be a BIG ‘W’ for Bielema’s staff.
Jayquan Stubbs defensive line Cleveland Heights (OH.) High School-6-foot-6 prospect that bulks up into a strong side end.....raw, raw, raw technique but see him play low/with leverage/burst off the snap as a coach think, 'I can get him to play that way every play'.....like many the Illini recruiting in Midwest....Stubbs offers/scheduled visits to Purdue, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and West Virginia.
Cedric Wyche running back Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas High School-played last year at Cardinal Gibbons transferring to Aquinas for senior season....Aquinas always been good to Bielema wherever he has coached...visits to Illinois, Boston College, Minnesota scheduled so far....listed at 5-foot-10, 200-pounds....looks more like 5-foot-8, 180-pounds....excellent hands catching the ball....consistently makes first defender miss in the open field...cause of size...Wyche more of a change of pace back/not a 20-carries a game Big Ten type.
Brayden Trimble wide receiver Mt. Zion (Ill.) High School-Illini commitment.
Camp stories...
-June is high school football camp month...prospects come to Champaign to 'tryout' n front of the Illini staff hoping for a scholarship offer...this month will share some stories of my past camp experiences.
Summer Sunday 2005 decided to head to the Northern Illinois Huskies one day camp....always had in-state under the radar types Joe Novak's program had found.
Former Illini assistant Steve Bernstein (1988-91) had found his way to DeKalb Novak's defensive backs coach....Bernstein always great cause Jared Gelfond had talked to him about his time in CU for his series on the website.... Illini football history 1980 to present (2003).…Former Mackovic assistant loved reading it so I was cool to talk to him/get information....summer of 2004 had been at the NIU camp...first time talking in person to Bernstein...he was happy to see me year later.
Watching players work out with Bernstein when Sam Hurd walks by....Hurd then a NIU wide receiver...Bernstein, 'look someone found Sam...Sam where you been hiding?'.......Hurd later busted drug charges when with the Chicago Bears.....Spent 2013 till 2023 in federal prison.
Standing there....Bernstein asks me, 'hey is Illinois recruiting Jon Asamoah?' I had never heard of 'Jon Asamoah'....me 'remind me again who he is?' Bernstein, 'best lineman in the state no one knows about....found him at Rich East he is supposed to be here today'....young man never showed.
Player NIU coaches paying a lot of attention to...Bloomington (Ill.) Central Catholic tight end/defensive end Michael Hoomananawanui.....He dominated the drills...size, speed, buried defenders when blocking....his father Isy played at Illinois State then NIU QB coach John Bond had coached in Bloomington with the Redbirds...how 'OO' got to the Huskies camp....Novak's program offered after camp.
Another prospect caught my eye....Palatine (Ill.) Fremd quarterback Scott Tolzien....NIU staff kissing St. Viator QB Jared Funk's (signed with Vanderbilt) ass that afternoon Tolzien better workout....two weeks later Tolzien camped in Champaign....his parents had UIUC connections/think Illini great Jim Grabowski also lived in same Palatine neighborhood as Tolzien family.…..Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley decided he had to have D.C.'s Eddie McGee as his 2nd QB class of 2006 (Along with Juice Williams)....Next February Tolzien deciding between walking on at Illinois waiting on Toledo to make a decision on an offer…Bielema's Badgers came in with a late scholarship....rest is history.....won the Unitas Award after 2010 season.
NIU camp on Sunday...next day in Champaign for start of their one-day camps....told recruiting coordinator/assistant head coach Reggie Mitchell about Asamoah/'OO'/Tolzien....how NIU had offered 'OO'....Mitchell, 'his buddy (2007 recruit Central Catholic d-lineman Josh Brent) is a priority'....'OO' area recruiter Dino Dawson came over with his recruiting list, staff had 'OO' rated as a '2' which meant preferred walk-on type....Dino, 'he was that good?' me, 'yep' 'we will get him here'...two days later 'OO' worked out getting an Illini scholarship offer.
After visiting West Lafayette committed to Zook's program later in the summer...his sister played volleyball at Purdue...when he visited the Boilers offered him as a defensive end....saw himself as a tight end...Zook/Locksley assured 'OO' he would play position at Illinois sealing the deal….yeah I know…Locksley nicknamed him ‘Uh Oh’ never liked that always ‘OO’ to me.
Asamoah longer road to Champaign....few days after the NIU camp he didn’t show up for…..Asamoah came down to work out....'Asamoah' thought he would be of Polynesian descent....he wasn't in any on-line recruiting database no idea what he looked like....watched a skinny kid who looked kind of Polynesian work out on the Memorial Stadium field...said, 'Are you Asamoah?' kid said no, pointed Asamoah working out with the offensive linemen….great...staff didn't offer Asamoah after the workout they were looking more for tackles/Rich East product definite guard.
Staff slow played him till late fall 2005 when four-star Chicago Morgan Park interior offensive lineman Ramone 'Ray Ray' Johnson picked the University of Tennessee over Illinois....Locksley/Illinois offered....Asamoah still committed to Bernstein/NIU….de-committed/picked ILL....'Ray Ray' left Tennessee after two seasons never playing football again....Asamoah four-starter team captain All-Big Ten/2nd round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bernstein pissed how Illinois ‘stole' Asamoah...January 2006 College Coaches Convention he reportedly chased down/challenged both Locksley (Asamoah’s recruiter) and Mitchell to a 'fight'...so upset...years later ran into Bernstein when he was coaching at the University of Virginia...'Old Campaigner' again happy to see me...big grin/handshake...never had the balls to tell him less than 24 hours after he had talked up Asamoah....sneaky me told the Illini coaches how high NIU was on the guard....Zook's staff didn't have the Rich East product on their recruiting radar as a Big Ten prospect till he camped with them….all is fair in the snake pit that is recruiting how rationalized that one.
Nice work helping the Illini get those 2!!