Reis Russell is ranked as the top class of 2027 player in the state of Colorado, according to 247 Sports, and Illinois on Thursday became one of the now 20-plus programs to have offered the interior lineman a scholarship.
Headed into his junior season, Russell has among his offers four from SEC schools – Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas A&M – and five more from the Big Ten – Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, Washington and Illinois. A 6-foot-3½, 290-pounder, Russell is considered the No. 14 interior offensive lineman in the nation, per 247 Sports composite rankings.
Illinois brings back its entire offensive line from last year’s 10-win club, but coach Bret Bielema will need all the help he can get up front by the time Russell is ready to pull on a college uniform. Even gifted offensive linemen rarely get extensive game reps as freshman, but the Illini would welcome a year of breaking Russell in to the Big Ten if he were to reach his potential in orange and blue and stick around a few years in Champaign.
If Bielema can coax Russell onto campus soon and wow him on his visit, Illinois will have a shot at landing his commitment sometime before the New Year.
