The best word to describe the 2006-07 recruiting class for the Illinois wrestling program is loaded.

The group, which is comprised of 11 incoming freshmen and one junior college transfer, has combined for a total of seven state championships and seven runner-up finishes during their high school careers.

Beside just being talented, the entire recruiting class hails from the state of Illinois.

The incoming class includes: Dalton Bullard, Belvidere High School; John Deneen, Grant High School; John Dergo, Morris High School; Ben Friedl, Carl Sandburg High School; Jimmy Kennedy, Grant High School; Joe Kotowski, Neuqua Valley High School; Matt Lee, West Aurora High School; Ryan Nallen, Niles Notre Dame High School; Clinton Polz, Sandburg High School; Sean Reynolds, Providence Catholic; and Mike Schaub, Naval Academy Prep School.

Dave Gleissner, Harper Junior College, is the lone junior college transfer.

“We concentrated our search on the state of Illinois – which has a rich talent for wrestling,” said Illini head coach Mark Johnson in a press release.

Headlining Johnson’s stellar class is Dergo, Kennedy and Reynolds, each of whom captured multiple Illinois state championships in their weight classes.

Dergo, a two-sport athlete at Morris High School, is projected to suit up and wrestle at 184 pounds for Illinois after a having arguably the best high school career of any of the Illini recruits.

Dergo claimed back-to-back state titles and ended his career winning his last 86 matches.

He also led Morris to a state football title as a senior, receiving the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Tribune Football Player of the Year.

Kennedy enters Illinois with plans to wrestle as a 133-pounder. During his high school career at Grant High School, Kennedy won the state title as a sophomore and senior.

He was awarded the 2006 Dave Schultz High School Excellence award for demonstrating excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship and community service.

Reynolds will join Dergo and Kennedy as Illinois top recruits for this year and is expected to wrestle as a 141 or 149 pounder.

Reynolds is the brother of current Illini wrestler Donny Reynolds, and is looking forward to continuing his family’s legacy at Illinois.

Reynolds earned Junior National All-American honors twice during his high school career at Providence Catholic High School after becoming a two-time undefeated state champion.

Dergo, Kennedy and Reynolds along with their nine fellow newcomers will be responsible for attempting to replace the holes left by the five Illini seniors who graduated last spring.

The graduated seniors led the Orange and Blue to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Tournament.

“The addition of this class to our experienced roster makes us one of the elite teams in the country,” Johnson said.