CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois secondary isn’t constructed totally with Florida natives, however second-year coach Bret Bielema is outwardly simply as a lot a fan of that recruiting strategy as his predecessor. The Illini added one other Monday with the dedication of Class of 2023 athlete Kenari Wilcher, who will probably land at cornerback.
Wilcher is the second Florida defensive again within the 2023 class for Illinois after Fort Myers (Fla.) Riverdale security Jaheim Clarke dedicated final month. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Wilcher is from Clewiston, Fla., and performs at close by Moore Haven Excessive College in south central Florida.
Wilcher is ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals, however is unranked by each 247Sports and On3. He dedicated to Illinois over a mixture of Energy 5, Group of 5 and FCS provides. Additionally concerned in Wilcher’s recruitment had been Indiana, Florida Worldwide, Florida Atlantic, Fordham, James Madison, Kentucky, Rhode Island, USF and Western Kentucky.
The addition of Wilcher pushes Illinois’ 2023 recruiting class to fifteen. Ten of them, now together with Wilcher, have dedicated within the final month. The Illini’s class at present ranks eleventh within the Huge Ten and forty second nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
Illinois may have 17 defensive backs on its roster for the 2022 season. Eight of them are from Florida, together with two returning starters in cornerback Devon Witherspoon and security Quan Martin along with Tahveon Nicholson, who’s in line to start out reverse Witherspoon on the different cornerback spot.