Instant impact recruit: Illinois adds talented receiver

National signing day has come and gone, which means we can begin to fully evaluate the haul each team collected. This week on the Big Ten blog, we're looking at which player or position group has the potential to make an instant impact for each conference team in 2017.

Up next: Illinois

Leading candidate: Wide receiver Ricky Smalling

Lovie Smith built his first signing class in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and that figures to pay off over the long haul. But in terms of a quick fix, the Illini addressed a glaring need to improve the passing attack by adding a weapon at wideout as their highest-rated new addition.

The need for help right away in the receiving corps could put pressure…