Illinois head football coach Ron Zook received good news last Wednesday when high school senior quarterback Clint Brewster announced his decision to verbally commit to the Illini as a part of the 2007 class.

Brewster, a 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pound quarterback from Mullen High School in Colorado, and son of former Illini football player Tim Brewster, will follow in his father’s foot steps in becoming a part of the Orange and Blue roster starting in 2007.

“I really liked everything about Illinois,” Brewster said in a press release. “I really enjoyed my visit out there and I just wanted to be a part of it. I know everything about the school and their tradition, and I know that it is the best place for me to be.”

In his junior season as starting quarterback at Mullen, Brewster completed 141 of 245 passes for 2,082 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading Mullen High to the State Championship game in Colorado.

With his performance behind center last season and his 4.7 second forty-yard dash, Brewster earned a three star rating from Scout.com, a popular Web site for ranking potential athletes.

“Coach Zook has been a really good recruiter,” Brewster said in the press release. “They are building a strong program and have really landed some nice recruiting classes over the last couple of years.”

Clint’s father, Denver Bronco’s tight-end coach Tim Brewster, played tight end for the Illini from 1982-83. Despite his father’s ties with the Illini, Clint claims that a good relationship with the coaching staff and the potential rise of the program were the determining factors in his decision to come to Illinois.

“My dad did not really influence my decision, but he is real excited for me,” Brewster said. “The whole process has been a lot easier with him there to guide me through everything that he went through.”

Brewster will join a large group of quarterbacks already at Illinois when he enters school in 2007, including be Isaiah “Juice” Williams, Billy Garza, Paul Blalock and Eddie McGee.

“I have a really good relationship with coach (Mike) Locksley,” Brewster said in the press release. “He let me know that every quarterback there is going to be competing for playing time.”

Brewster chose Illinois instead of Washington State, Southern Miss and Mississippi State, and he joins Withrow High School’s defensive tackle Daryle Ballew and Batavia High School’s defensive end Mike Garrity as the current Illinois commitments for the class of 2007.

“I am excited and now I just want to try to go out there and help them to bring some great recruits in to play here,” Brewster said. “I would tell them the same thing that I told you, it is a great school with a great tradition.”