It’s only been two days since No. 20 Illinois (10-3) beat No. 15 South Carolina (9-4), but the winner is already reaping the rewards. Illinois received a commitment from a high schooler on New Year’s Day and followed it up with a big-time transfer pickup on Thursday morning.
Kingston Shaw
The first commitment came not even a full 24 hours following the win. Defensive end Kingston Shaw, a Florida native, was in attendance for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. A victory over an SEC opponent was enough for Shaw, and he pledged himself to Illinois shortly after.
“The amount of attention, how they set the vision for what this program is going to be and it’s already coming to fruition,” Shaw said to On3 Sports after his commitment. “Yesterday, with them beating South Carolina, I was at that game and it was special to watch.”
Illinois set out to develop its own kind of players, and Shaw wants to be next after watching the process live. The edge rusher is massive for a high school junior. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, it is easy to see why multiple SEC schools wanted the prospect. He will have to wait a year before coming to Champaign, but Illinois continues to trust its recruiting eye and attack the Florida pipeline.
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Hudson Clement
Day two of the offseason brought in a player who can make an immediate impact. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Hudson Clement announced his intentions to join Illinois next year after two productive seasons with West Virginia (6-7).
As senior wide receivers Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin leave for the next level, Illinois is in dire need of a top receiving threat. It already received a transfer commitment this offseason, and several solid options will return, including sophomore wide receiver Malik Elzy and junior wide receiver Hank Beatty, but Illinois still lacked consistent experience.
Clement provides that experience and then some. The transfer recorded 1,221 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons in Morgantown, with some ridiculously good individual performances. Clement had 150 yards against Kansas (5-7) this season and saved his best game for last.
Bowl season was kind to Clement as well when West Virginia faced No. 25 Memphis (11-2). He ended with 166 yards and two touchdowns in a narrow loss. His big games and big play ability are similar to that of Bryant, who fueled Illinois this year. Clement instantly steps into a big role with Illinois and adds to an impressive transfer class.
@benfader7
