CHAMPAIGN — It was a big recruiting weekend for Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith and Co., and it was fruitful.
The Illini landed a verbal commitment from 2021 quarterback Samari Collier, a three-star from DeSoto, Texas and a commitment from 2020 defensive tackle Anthony Shipton, a 6-foot-5, 290-pounder from Cerritos College, a community college in California.
Those two are in addition to Lavar Gardner, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound defensive back and linebacker from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas for the Class of 2020. Gardner committed in November. This is one of the busiest weeks in recruiting for Smith, who hopped on a plane to continue hitting the trail on Sunday night.
Picture Source: Courtesy of Randy Kindred
