ESPN ranks James Thompson Jr. as the top transfer for Illinois (who is ranked 13th) Archived Message Posted by OrangeSox on February 14, 2025, 16:58:22, in reply to "BIG NEWS ON THE FOOTBALL BOARD" https://www.espn.com/college-football/insider/story/_/id/43813833/college-football-2025-best-portal-addition-top-schools I think I misread the article initially. Don't judge! Message Thread: | This response ↓ BIG NEWS ON THE FOOTBALL BOARD - jdl February 1, 2025, 17:19:09 TeRah Edwards announced for the draft yesterday - Blazer February 26, 2025, 13:03:33 Weird time of year to declare, isn't it? - osklister February 26, 2025, 13:20:35 Yes, a bit* - UofIL6 February 26, 2025, 13:56:40 His number with his size always threw me. He's not a #23* - ibdoc February 26, 2025, 13:14:31 They all do that - jdl February 26, 2025, 13:11:38 Frosh in 2020 and RS in 2021 so I think he should have another year w/ the COVID exemption?*? - ECEIllinois February 26, 2025, 13:06:12 he played 5 games in 2021, so unless he was eligible for a Medical Redshirt he would have been done. - ijustkrushalot February 26, 2025, 13:22:10 ok yeah my mistake. misread "redshirt freshman" as he redshirted that year. He's done* - ECEIllinois February 26, 2025, 13:54:58 I don't think we were expecting him back either way, but I didn't realize it was a possibility* - Blazer February 26, 2025, 13:08:53 SP+ 2025 returning production rankings - UIHuskie February 24, 2025, 10:27:26 B1G Football Media Days announced - ATL February 21, 2025, 12:22:44 Interesting Spoon interview - nash February 20, 2025, 16:21:26 Gruden AND Barstool.* - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 20, 2025, 16:24:38 Fabrizio Pinton in portal - Poldark February 18, 2025, 15:41:24 Will he stay in this time? * - jdl February 18, 2025, 15:42:09 Bielemas been posting some Christian stuff recently - biclops February 17, 2025, 9:39:43 *chin scratchy guy*… - biclops February 21, 2025, 21:59:17 Prayed for Ozempic. No change* - Herman Blume February 17, 2025, 10:41:58 Not so fast... He's looking good these days. I think he's on it * - Phytynlini February 17, 2025, 19:00:50 He’s gonna have to get his wedding ring resized soon - biclops February 17, 2025, 19:30:07 Whatever it takes* - illini21 February 17, 2025, 9:58:30 Preach* - longsnapper February 17, 2025, 10:06:20 mfer is gonna be posting about the guiding light of islam to get a defensive end. * - ijustkrushalot February 17, 2025, 9:53:10 I’m mostly surprised he uses Pandora.* - DocWalk20 February 17, 2025, 9:47:45 Both Blue Chips and The Program captured this perfectly. If you're recruiting a Scientologist, well - Warrin'_Illini February 17, 2025, 9:46:43 With Lane going after the Buddhist recruits, I'm feeling like this was the better marketing decision - ATL February 17, 2025, 9:43:52 He just lost Jeff* - bjl63 February 17, 2025, 9:40:43 We made 4 star 2026 TE Mack Sutter from Dunlap’s Top 5 - NastyBoyd February 16, 2025, 15:46:38 next year's toughest opponent - Poldark February 14, 2025, 18:13:40 Call me crazy but I’m gonna go with Ohio State* - OB25 February 14, 2025, 18:21:19 but we have to play ourselves every day. that's a tall order* - assassin February 14, 2025, 18:22:02 Rece Davis would agree. - tvillini February 18, 2025, 6:03:12 roster at 111 need to get to 105* - Poldark February 14, 2025, 17:27:10 ESPN ranks James Thompson Jr. as the top transfer for Illinois (who is ranked 13th) - OrangeSox February 14, 2025, 16:58:22 Bielema on BTN now* - biclops February 14, 2025, 16:19:47 Coach B presser from today - ATL February 14, 2025, 14:39:52 who is the big impact player visiting in April?* - biclops February 14, 2025, 17:16:15 I would assume it’s Nasir Rankin?* - OB25 February 14, 2025, 17:40:40 that tracks * - biclops February 14, 2025, 17:59:14 15-16 players won't scrimmage due to their level of trustworthiness/experience* - ATL February 14, 2025, 14:45:33 LockedOn B1G has Altmeyer as one of the most underrated QBs in the conference - ATL February 14, 2025, 14:35:31 This is a few weeks old so maybe was discussed, but what in the blue hell is this “article”? - OB25 February 14, 2025, 14:23:54 You have to stop associating them with the old magazine - RVA February 14, 2025, 18:04:54 You can see the author's credentials at the bottom of the article - LWillhite February 14, 2025, 17:22:25 And they still don't get that it wasn't about "substitution" - illinijohn February 14, 2025, 14:40:23 I wonder if Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich have figured it out yet* - bjl63 February 14, 2025, 16:21:28 They were also big burly fans, and referred to him as sir* - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 14, 2025, 14:36:09 scoreboard - ATL February 14, 2025, 14:30:43 247 team recruiting rankings - jdl February 13, 2025, 21:15:13 Sixth in the country, fourth in the B1G. :-O - osklister February 14, 2025, 7:39:04 look out, we’re coming for you, - biclops February 13, 2025, 21:20:31 A lot of it, including for us, is quantity-driven at this early stage* - OB25 February 13, 2025, 22:06:17 oh wow, I had no idea thank you. - biclops February 14, 2025, 7:24:05 If you go by average rating, we're 27th. - tvillini February 14, 2025, 7:30:07 I’ll still take that. * - uofi1998 February 14, 2025, 8:54:24 you and OB should start a podcast * - biclops February 14, 2025, 7:35:09 I’m confused, I thought you were wondering why Kansas was so high so I answered* - OB25 February 14, 2025, 9:10:41 I find it humorous that perennial football powerhouses KS & IL are at the top of the recruiting - biclops February 14, 2025, 9:29:41 The font wasn't green for sarcasm from 'clops on his initial volley. That's how we got here. - tvillini February 14, 2025, 9:29:02 thank you* - biclops February 14, 2025, 9:30:08 we're in the top 5 for Trae Taylor, '27 QB - ECEIllinois February 13, 2025, 14:55:30 Rated a top 20 overall recruit by one of the sites recently* - UofIL6 February 13, 2025, 15:11:09 Hooray, but wake me in 18 months - bjl63 February 13, 2025, 14:58:34 Our grizzle is thick* - uofi1998 February 13, 2025, 15:04:20 Nah, it's not grizzle - bjl63 February 13, 2025, 15:09:37 #notMattGaetz* - VIV February 13, 2025, 15:11:32 His uncle is Winston Taylor so hopefully that helps* - CanHartlebHireSnider February 13, 2025, 14:59:44 his great grandmother was Elizabeth Taylor * - bbonb February 14, 2025, 7:53:05 His aunt is Taylor Swift.* - Illiniphil February 14, 2025, 8:25:46 His tailor is Martin Greenfield* - LWillhite February 14, 2025, 8:53:13 So, when we officially migrate to a 'football school', how does this work? - UofIL6 February 7, 2025, 15:40:38 my One of the Seventeen shirt will now refer to my basketball fandom* - ECEIllinois February 7, 2025, 16:09:09 This stuff is always so weird to me* - Ron McDon February 7, 2025, 15:55:58 What is?* - illini21 February 7, 2025, 18:32:47 This stuff - IlliniSax05 February 7, 2025, 19:29:36 That stuff?* - DocWalk20 February 7, 2025, 20:05:34 No, the other stuff.* - Illiniphil February 7, 2025, 21:45:54 Double stuff? * - illinijohn February 7, 2025, 21:49:10 It’s crazy. Still very, very early but man, what a ride - Cunativeson February 7, 2025, 15:47:15 Gabe Jacas 2nd team Preseason All American for ESPN - JacobRDaugherty February 7, 2025, 13:53:54 Can you imagine having a first team AA 3 out of 4 years?* - uofi1998 February 7, 2025, 13:55:22 I could see both X.Scott and Jacas getting 1st team next year.* - JacobRDaugherty February 7, 2025, 14:13:03 Bret signal - UIHuskie February 7, 2025, 12:49:34 Ninth commit already. And to think they've had seasons not too long ago - OrangeSox February 7, 2025, 13:27:11 Class now ranked 8th on 247 - jdl February 7, 2025, 15:54:06 I suppose it's too much to hope it's Rankin...?* - uofi1998 February 7, 2025, 12:50:25 Based on the asst coach tweet, sounds like it's a Texan* - UofIL6 February 7, 2025, 12:51:58 Yeah... this one? - uofi1998 February 7, 2025, 13:03:15 Yep* - UofIL6 February 7, 2025, 13:05:13 if it's a Texan, that suggests this kid - assassin February 7, 2025, 13:04:06 Confirmed* - UofIL6 February 7, 2025, 15:36:44 Committed to U of Illinoize * - jdl February 7, 2025, 15:48:52 Yee Haw* - assassin February 7, 2025, 15:37:55 high 3 star in TX not good enough to garner any SEC offers?* - ECEIllinois February 7, 2025, 13:15:41 that is a bit odd* - uofi1998 February 7, 2025, 13:17:03 Top 400. Sign me the fuck up.* - uofi1998 February 7, 2025, 13:08:45 Looks like 247 has my HS teamate's son top 400 now and rivals has as a 4 star.... - LeatherneckIllini February 7, 2025, 15:32:01 Who is he?* - JacobRDaugherty February 7, 2025, 16:34:18 dawts... - LeatherneckIllini February 7, 2025, 16:39:31 Would've been the class's top recruit in most of the past 20 years. Now, it's like... - UofIL6 February 7, 2025, 13:20:12 Imagine this: Having a really good coach, combined with $, means we *can* compete at a high level* - uofi1998 February 7, 2025, 13:22:04 Andy Staples ranks Bielema the #13 coach in college football - biclops February 6, 2025, 19:17:58 Ferentz and Bret too low. Cigs and Moore too high* - JacobRDaugherty February 6, 2025, 19:19:47 Well Bielema is #1 here - biclops February 6, 2025, 19:46:22 2026 recruiting class now up to 4th in the Big Ten on 247, no big deal - OrangeSox February 6, 2025, 10:29:59 Rutgers seems to be recruiting well* - ECEIllinois February 6, 2025, 13:02:06 Don’t let any of them get near the SFC on game days!!!* - bbonb February 6, 2025, 12:29:08 Just for fun: behind Oregon, USC and Penn State. * - osklister February 6, 2025, 11:59:27 It says we have two 4-star commits. Who is the other? - illinilosch February 6, 2025, 11:49:07 Singleton* - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 6, 2025, 11:51:24 I didn't realize he's the #1 player in the 2026 class in the state of Ohio. - EffinIllini February 6, 2025, 14:29:05 if you click on the stars number in the table, the page it goes to actually says - assassin February 6, 2025, 11:54:26 It's because one page is showing composite 247 and one is showing 247 own rankings - CanHartlebHireSnider February 6, 2025, 11:55:29 Gotcha. - illinilosch February 6, 2025, 12:07:52 I'm going to assume we land somewhere in the 5-7 range, mostly on volume - ijustkrushalot February 6, 2025, 11:16:35 And we still have 2 guys unranked * - JacobRDaugherty February 6, 2025, 11:05:00 And seemingly in really good shape for a few more blue-chippers. Shaping up to be best class - UofIL6 February 6, 2025, 10:31:33 Cam Thomas announcing this morning * - AintHatin February 6, 2025, 7:07:10 Confirmed. Yawn...just another 4* from the state of OH - UofIL6 February 6, 2025, 10:21:29 Expected to be us?* - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 6, 2025, 7:08:32 Yes * - jdl February 6, 2025, 7:09:07 Committed! - ECEIllinois February 6, 2025, 10:21:42 Scheelhaase had a look for the Jags OC job? Wild. - gvibes February 5, 2025, 20:04:15 seems like the talk is he turned them down instead of the other way around?* - ECEIllinois February 6, 2025, 11:08:07 Today was national signing day… uhhh… any word? Thx * - illini thunder February 5, 2025, 17:14:45 Ranked 45th by 24/7 I see * - illini thunder February 5, 2025, 17:24:27 Okay * - ATL February 5, 2025, 17:33:26 it's the secondary signing day for football. it's not a thing anymore* - assassin February 5, 2025, 17:20:37 I assume we signed the one linebacker mentioned a couple days ago. Almost everybody signs - larue33 February 5, 2025, 17:18:31 We signed Jack Paris* - CanHartlebHireSnider February 5, 2025, 17:16:50 My son’s 4th-7th travel basketball team had 3 future D1 baseball players and a D1 football player* - GMAW February 5, 2025, 17:34:13 Pretty hard to tell at that age, though, no?* - longsnapper February 5, 2025, 17:43:22 It was not hard to tell that their team was crazy athletic relative to other teams - GMAW February 6, 2025, 7:29:48 I was Sean Bubin's baseball coach when he was 13. - opey8 February 5, 2025, 20:39:41 Or has it already happened?* - longsnapper February 5, 2025, 17:43:59 Remember that African village? - uofi1998 February 5, 2025, 9:55:33 From a longer-term view, I wonder if having the Indianas and Illinois of the world - AintHatin February 5, 2025, 10:29:24 .....Not if TV has their way* - KCWildcat February 5, 2025, 11:13:41 SEC!! SEC!! (B1G used to have the most TV sets... wonder if that's still true.) * - osklister February 5, 2025, 11:25:34 I keep mentioning this but the short term goal of the TV Networks is a 14 team playoff - JacobRDaugherty February 5, 2025, 11:02:05 Certainly will be as it expands ultimately to 16+* - bjl63 February 5, 2025, 10:30:30 I mean they still have James Franklin but PSU is as high as #1 - bjl63 February 5, 2025, 10:20:27 Some really belief from these guys. * - ATL February 5, 2025, 10:13:42 OLB coach Clint Sintim leaves for Colorado State - Poldark February 5, 2025, 7:32:52 Dr Chim Richalds?* - SurfTheBoneyard February 5, 2025, 11:31:22 I follow the program pretty closely and I had no idea who this was* - illini21 February 5, 2025, 7:56:23 Seems likely we pushed him out the door here, no? - jayd February 5, 2025, 7:52:26 Hey, when Colorado St. calls in February and wants you to help rebuild/reload that juggernaut... * - osklister February 5, 2025, 8:28:42 Yeah bielema never mentioned him all year - snipes824 February 5, 2025, 7:59:59 For sure* - illini21 February 5, 2025, 7:55:48 My call is OLB gets subsumed by McDaniel and Jamison and they hire Sitkowski full time* - snipes824 February 5, 2025, 7:49:43 Duties could be split between Jamison and McDaniel* - jayd February 5, 2025, 8:12:57 That would work. Recruits seem to gravitate to Art. Making an impression even in a lesser role* - UofIL6 February 5, 2025, 8:04:45 I worry about his spatial awareness if he is from Toledo but thinks Champaign is “home”* - bbonb February 3, 2025, 16:32:55 Have you ever been to Toledo? Everyone tries to get out ASAP* - HamptonSki February 5, 2025, 7:50:36 Gonna be spending someone's hard-earned pay. * - osklister February 3, 2025, 17:12:27 I would sacrifice an African village for this to come true... - uofi1998 February 3, 2025, 13:06:49 Not the important part of the post, but the Texas/Arch Manning thing is interesting - OB25 February 3, 2025, 13:50:44 Road trip to Athens!* - bjl63 February 3, 2025, 13:46:40 So said Scipio after the Punic Wars* - RVA February 3, 2025, 13:49:15 Think we're about to accomplish the sacrificing of African villages so...* - ECEIllinois February 3, 2025, 13:38:22 Spackler's angry wave makes the cut as well. I'm so excited for next season, let's - Warrin'_Illini February 3, 2025, 13:11:01 Imagine if you will... UGA as the 10, and South Carolina as the 9, coming to Champaign. - uofi1998 February 3, 2025, 13:13:22 So hott* - UofIL6 February 3, 2025, 13:08:26 one final 2025 Pickup, LB from Fenwick - assassin February 3, 2025, 12:03:27 My son played basketball with him for years - GMAW February 5, 2025, 8:06:45 I wouldn't want to fight in Trump's air force either* - ATL February 3, 2025, 12:54:45 BEAT WESTERN ILLINOIS * - Poldark February 2, 2025, 16:54:08 I still can’t believe this happened* - illini21 February 2, 2025, 16:28:22 Not me, I’m already mad there aren’t more piggyback commits - assassin February 2, 2025, 16:30:40 We took a near 5 star kid from Ohio away from Ohio State. - Illiniphil February 1, 2025, 21:01:30 Michigan 247 is big time mad about it and I love it* - Cunativeson February 1, 2025, 22:41:17 Their consensus seemed to be that this won’t stick* - OB25 February 3, 2025, 12:10:00 NWTFITWTF* - meanjeans February 1, 2025, 21:52:40 My brain doesn’t know what to do with this one* - OB25 February 1, 2025, 20:40:41 AWESOME! * - illinijohn February 1, 2025, 18:34:38 That is nothing short of incredible. From freaking Toledo. - uofi1998 February 1, 2025, 18:22:31 Even I'm feeling slightly less cynical * - ISeeDeadHawkeyes February 1, 2025, 19:44:36 Whoa.* - uofi1998 February 3, 2025, 13:13:46 Hiring a DB coach from Toledo paying off* - CanHartlebHireSnider February 1, 2025, 18:24:32 Putting 4 DBs in the NFL didn’t hurt either* - Blazer February 1, 2025, 18:54:18 Not just 4 in the NFL but multiple pro bowl caliber players in the league.* - ATL February 1, 2025, 19:09:54 Nate Hobbs is 5 in recent years* - JacobRDaugherty February 1, 2025, 20:00:27 Certainly helps. I imagine Quinyon Mitchell helps as well - CanHartlebHireSnider February 1, 2025, 19:14:20 Ain’t that the truth * - uofi1998 February 1, 2025, 18:33:33 Hot damn. Keep it rollin’ Bert.* - DocWalk20 February 1, 2025, 17:55:44 Our '26 class is now 17th in the country * - jdl February 1, 2025, 17:40:48 Higher. #1, in fact.* - Toonces February 1, 2025, 19:07:19 Awesome! * - Jersey February 1, 2025, 17:32:00 It’s ca. 2006 all over again - Blazer February 1, 2025, 17:30:39 I think for me the thing is that we got this kid on results, not promised. - tvillini February 1, 2025, 21:54:23 Whoa* - John Coctostan February 1, 2025, 17:26:29 Unbelievable. Now just need to hold onto him for 10+ months* - UofIL6 February 1, 2025, 17:25:10 need to hope tOSU lands their top CB targets* - ECEIllinois February 1, 2025, 17:58:42 This was my first thought * - OWWDig February 1, 2025, 17:27:36 Oh shit. Bert got it crackin* - AintHatin February 1, 2025, 17:24:41 Landing a top 50 kid from Ohio seems like a big deal - CanHartlebHireSnider February 1, 2025, 17:23:16 jeepers* - assassin February 1, 2025, 17:23:05 we're really rolling now* - snipes824 February 1, 2025, 17:20:33 Wow. That's a hugeeee get* - OrangeSox February 1, 2025, 17:19:49   Searching