2025 in-state recruit considers official visit to Illinois football team

The Illinois football program needs to recruit more talent for the class of 2025.

It’s been an uphill battle so far, as the Illini are ranked 66th in the country in their 2025 class. With only 13 players signed, signing someone like Clayton Lakatos would help the cause.

Lakatos is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound safety from Edwardsville High School in Illinois. He is considered a three-star recruit and is the No. 1,404 player in the class of 2025. He is also the No. 115 safety in the country and the No. 41 player from Illinois.

On Monday night, Allen Trieu of 247Sports reported that Lakatos plans to take two official visits in the coming month. He’s heading to Iowa on Sept. 7 and will be in Illinois on Sept. 14.

I think Lakatos has a lot to offer at the safety position. He has great ball sense, knows where the ball is going and can break up passes with the best of the best.

Lakatos’ finishing is also impressive. He takes great angles and is really smart on the football field. He would be a great addition to the Illinois football team.

I would love to sign someone like Lakatos. I think the kid has a ton of potential. But even with that in-state talent, the Illini are struggling to build a solid recruiting class.

As mentioned, Illinois is currently ranked 66th in the country in recruiting for 2025. Behind us are only three other Power Four conference teams: Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and Colorado.

Colorado has shown us what they are. They go after transfer portal players every year. Wake Forest had a bad year in 2023 and the ship could sink. And Vanderbilt is a traditional bottom-place finisher.

At this point, the transfer portal will be crucial for the Illini. Ranked 66th in the country for the class of 2025 this late in the game is very concerning. Let’s see if Bret Bielema and the coaching staff can stem the tide.