Outside of Kentucky, Illinois has been a critical part of Coach McDonnell’s success due to the pipeline the staff has created over the years. Since 2010, at least two players from each class from the state of Illinois have committed to the Cards.
Not only has the roster been full of Illinoisans (just go with it), they could have their own section of the All-American wall at Jim Patterson Stadium. Players like the Burdi brothers, Corey Ray, Reid Detmers, Chad Green, Kyle Funkhouser, and Josh Stowers have all made their way to Louisville via the Prairie State.
The class of 2021 is led by six players from Kentucky, which you can read about here and here, followed by five players from Illinois.