In my opinion after John Mackovic left for Texas 1991 the Fighting Illini football walk on program too many times has been paid only lip service by coaching staffs in Champaign but not anymore.....When Bret Bielema was hired as Illini head football coach one idea he implemented was a more aggressive approach to that walk-on program...Bielema had been a walk-on at Iowa, saw how well there/other stops in coaching a successful development system in that area was to programs not filled with blue-chip talent.
Bielema's philosophy two-fold.... develop the walk-on's to replace recruiting mistakes and there are always recruiting mistakes/build under recruited players with tools into contributors down the line...now with the transfer portal having that development system to have a player already on campus/trained in your program to take that transfer's place if done correctly...huge....an up to date strategy/on campus farm system for Illini football....with so many players in the portal it seems a successful preferred walk on at a Big Ten school now offers a much better opportunity to get a full ride cause of those transfers....why many prospects that had FCS/lower level FBS offers going the preferred walk-on route now
What is a preferred walk-on? ‘A player who is promised a roster spot, and reports with the scholarship players for fall camp a few weeks before classes start. He is not on scholarship, but can earn scholarships as they become available’.....preferred walk-on's don't sign a letter of intent they sign a letter of admissions in most cases confirming the school they signed with has a spot on the roster in the fall/admission to the university that prospect signs with......below a look at two late Illini 2022 commitments along with tape review of the current recruits committed as preferred Illini walk-on's per their twitter announcement.
*Xavier Scott defensive back Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer High School-wow highlight tape...can play either cornerback or receiver/kick/punt returner...have to remember Palm Beach County competition/talent level not what it was ten years ago....area used to have twenty to thirty power 5 football recruits yearly but now is lucky to have eight to ten power five types...that being said good hustle by Illini staff to find Scott late.
*Naivyan Cargill tight end Palm Beach (Fla.) Gardens High School-6-foot-5 smooth athlete....all these tight ends, someone is going to have to move to defense/o-line....Cargill with body build, quickness, agility could become a rush defensive end down the line played outside linebacker some down line on defense on film...best 'athlete' tight end Illinois signed this class....like Scott good hustle by Illini staff to go into an area under recruited in January and find a senior prospect....Scott/Cargill didn't sign letters of intent but go on scholarship once they report to Illini fall camp next August.
*Known 2022 Fighting Illini football 'preferred' walk-ons/non scholarship transfers breakdown.
*Richard Hidalgo tight end Stetson University-had to do some research on this one....didn't have a decent high school HUDL...redshirted last fall at non scholarship FCS Stetson.... interest from South Florida, Utah, Vandy, Maryland and Virginia Tech among others when he entered the portal....Hidalgo e-mailed college coaches to get attention....excellent athlete all of 6-foot-5 good hands....how he got to Stetson didn't get on the field last fall is beyond me....background transferred in to play his senior season at Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips....went back to Dr. Phillips game HUDL's and found Hidalgo senior year....Honor roll student so it wasn't grades....Orlando isn't recruited like it once was and doesn't look like he camped anywhere previous summer....just missed on....don't know if he has the bulk strength to block in the Big Ten right away but athletically/pass catcher could be a contributor at Illinois sooner vs. later...excellent chance for an Illini scholarship.
*Fabrizio Pinton kicker Air Force Academy-From the Woodlands High School, Texas....JV kicker two seasons at the Air Force Academy....high school HUDL shows a strong leg on kickoffs.
*Jameson Sheehan quarterback Cary-Grove (Ill.) High School (pictured above) - 6-foot-4, 200-pounder frame to add bulk/power....winner..... has enough arm strength at quarterback but see him at another position tight end....best athlete on team....has a burst running the ball once he hit the seam of the defense...watched him play hoops strong hands/plus jumping ability...projection of course to tight end/another position.....good looking all around player...excellent chance for an Illini scholarship.
*Christian Lorenzo defensive tackle DeKalb (Ill.) High School- size you look for 6-foot-3, 270-pounds....above average burst off the snap, too many times plays upright which can be corrected by coaching/S&C work...big bodied two gap type of defensive tackle reminds of former Illini/Dixon High School grad Ryan Matha....defensive tackles hard to find and plus pickup as a preferred walk on for Illinois with Lorenzo.....excellent chance for an Illini scholarship.
*Josh Leff punter Chatsworth (Cal.) Sierra Canyon High School-two step punter which means line doesn't have to hold their blocks as long......appreciated his HUDL....Sierra Canyon had issues deep snapping/protecting on punts....showed that Leff was very good at fielding a bad snap/getting away the punt under pressure....showed power five level hang time/placement....place kicker but he is a college punter....excellent chance for an Illini scholarship.
*Nico Crawford deep snapper Dublin (Ohio) Sciota High School-Sciota a top high school football program in Ohio....listed at 6-foot-2, 250-pounds....deep snapping just get the ball back straight/quickly Crawford does both....athletic enough to tackle in the open field...excellent chance for an Illini scholarship.
*Chase Miller wide receiver IMG Academy (Fla.)-originally from Ellicot City Maryland....slot type of wide receiver but watch full IMG games when he played cornerback in man coverage, liked what he did on that side of the ball...could play baseball in college.
*Trevor Burnett running back Glenbard South (Ill.) High School-FCS/service academy offers...quick as a hiccup....maybe 5-foot-10 maybe...doesn't have the build to be an every down Big Ten running back.....will get on the field at Illinois punt/kick returner/slot receiver...scholarship chance depends on his ability to return kicks/punts.
*Weston Adams wide receiver IMG Academy (Fla.) -try hard type with good hands, special teamer....bio says originally from Shell, Wyoming...can't think of any Illini players modern era from Wyoming.
*Will McManus kicker Hun School Princeton (NJ)-Kick off specialist...majority of his place kicks on his HUDL 30 yards or closer.