Lovie Smith and the Illinois coaching staff need to continue building the defensive line. Depth is a priority at this point, especially at defensive tackle. That is why the announcement that Anthony Shipton has committed to the Illini is huge for the program.
Shipton is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive tackle from Cerritos College in Villa Park, California. He isn’t rated or ranked by 247Sports, but he did have some serious recruiting attention coming from the junior college ranks.
Besides Illinois, Shipton also had scholarship offers from teams like Arizona, Hawaii and UTEP. But, the Illini won out as they seem to be the perfect fit for this kid who wants a chance at big-time DI football.