Much like the brand new practice facility being built next to Memorial Stadium, the building blocks of this rebuild are crucial. The facilities structure will keep it viable, and the thriving center of Illini football apprenticeship for the foreseeable future. For Lovie Smith’s rebuild project, that foundation was the 2017 and 2018 classes.
Long on offensive and defensive line stalwarts, and surrounded by solid Big Ten recruits along the edges and in the back seven. Smith even solved his quarterback room problem in one class with three additions in 2018! But, although the future of the lines looks stable, those are the meeting rooms of the practice facility.