Are the Illini on the verge of landing another offensive playmaker? Probably not, but there's technically a chance. Four-star WR Steven Smothers (Reisterstown, MD) recently cut his list to Illinois, Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, and West Virginia. According to Scout's Brian Dohn, the recruitment is shaping up to be a two-horse race between the Cornhuskers and Mountaineers.
Two-star ATH Jerod Alton (Kirkwood, MO) committed to Mizzou on Tuesday night. Alton was supposed to decide between Illinois and Arkansas State last week, but he abruptly cancelled his announcement and tweeted that he and his family "needed a little more time [to think] about [his] commitment.