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By Jayna Bardahl Illinois has hung around the bottom of Big Ten recruiting for the last decade. Twice in that period (2014, 2020), the Illini signed the worst class in the league. Things, however, are looking up — both on the field and the recruiting trail. In 2022, Bret Bielema guided Illinois to its first winning season since 2011 and its first bowl game since 2019. Bielema’s two full classes ranked No. 46 (2022) and No. 42 (2023) in the 247Sports Composite — a notable improvement from the Illini’s No. 73-ranked class in 2021. Here’s a look at some of the most notable recruitments in program history. Best recruit, pre-internet rankings: Simeon Rice, DE Despite becoming one of the best defensive linemen in Illinois history, Rice didn’t originally see himself playing that position. In fact, he didn’t see himself on defense at all. Rice originally played running back at Mount Carmel (Ill.) High School until his coach moved him to the other side of the ball. “I was an unbelievable running back,” Rice said in an interview with the “Chicago Tribune” in 2016. “I was legit. I was the fastest dude on my team. But looking at my future, the coaches were right. I hit a growth spurt my junior year. I went from 5-9 to like 6-3. But I was a great running back.” That proved to be a smart move as Rice went on to be a four-year starter at Illinois from 1992 through 1995. He was the Big Ten Lineman of the Year in 1994 and finished college as the conference’s all-time leader in sacks (44.5) and tackles for loss (69). Rice was selected third by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1996 NFL Draft and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors to begin his 12-year pro career. Best recruits, modern era: Arrelious Benn, WR / Martez Wilson, DE Benn and Wilson headlined Illinois’ 2007 recruiting class and are the only five-star prospects to sign with the Illini in the modern era. This class, signed during the Ron Zook era, ranked No. 22 nationally. Wilson, from Simeon High in Chicago, was the top player in the state and the No. 15 overall recruit in his class. He chose Illinois over offers from Florida, Miami, Michigan and Notre Dame. He capped off his career by earning first-team All-Big Ten honors as a redshirt junior in 2010. Benn was the No. 12 overall recruit in his class and was teammates with eventual Illinois standouts Vontae Davis and Nate Bussey at Dunbar High in Washington D.C. Benn chose Illinois over Florida State, Maryland, Miami and Notre Dame and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2007. His stats improved as a sophomore as he led the Big Ten with 1,055 receiving yards on 67 receptions. A right ankle injury slowed him as a junior and he entered the 2010 draft after the season. He was selected in the second round and played five seasons in the NFL Most influential recruit: Dick Butkus, LB One of the most feared linebackers to ever play the game chose to play at Illinois in part because of a girl. Butkus, from Chicago, picked the Fighting Illini over Notre Dame because he was planning on marrying his high school girlfriend. “I had a lot of offers,” he said in this 1964 “Sports Illustrated” story. “But I didn’t never really consider any of ’em except Illinois. Northwestern was … well, they ain’t my kind of people. Notre Dame looked too hard. Besides, they didn’t like the idea of my getting married, which I knew I was gonna do.” Butkus played an integral role in a program rebuild under coach Pete Elliott. Illinois went winless in 1961, with Butkus sitting out per NCAA rules as a freshman, then won two games in 1962 before a breakout ’63 season that included a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl victory. He was named MVP of the Big Ten as a junior in 1963 and earned All-America honors in both 1963 and 1964. Butkus was selected No. 3 by the hometown Bears in the 1965 NFL Draft and went on to enjoy a nine-year Hall of Fame career. Biggest bust: Aaron Bailey, QB Bailey was an especially painful bust for Illini fans. Not only was the Class of 2013 four-star recruit ranked as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 6 prospect in the state, but he was a homegrown talent from Bolingbrook, Ill. The Illini kept Bailey home over offers from Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska. Bailey saw limited action once he arrived in Champaign, playing in 14 games over two seasons and completing 13 of his 27 pass attempts for 122 yards. He transferred to Northern Iowa in 2015 but played in only seven games for the Missouri Valley Conference school. Best developmental story: Devon Witherspoon, CB Witherspoon was an unranked prospect coming out of Pine Forest (Fla.) High School in the Class of 2019. Four years later, he was selected No. 5 by Seattle in the 2023 NFL Draft — the highest pick ever for an Illinois defensive back. Witherspoon first enrolled at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College but transferred to Illinois — the only Power 5 program to offer him a scholarship — after learning that he was eligible to play at a four-year school. The rest is developmental history for a player who didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. The one who got away: Devin Singletary, RB Singletary, nicknamed “Motor,” committed to Illinois in late November 2015. A three-star recruit from Delray Beach, Fla., Singletary flipped his commitment on national signing day in February to Florida Atlantic and signed with the Owls. As a sophomore, Singeltary set FAU’s single-season record for rushing yards (1,918) and was selected as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to college football’s top running back. He also holds FAU records for career rushing yards (4,287) and single-game rushing yards (254) and has the ninth-most rushing touchdowns (66) in FBS history. Singletary was drafted 74th by the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he had 151 carries for 775 yards and two touchdowns, along with 29 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He played four seasons with the Bills and signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans in March. The Chris Redman controversy deserves a mention, as well. The blue-chip quarterback was recruited to Illinois by offensive coordinator Greg Landry and signed with Illinois as part of the Class of 1995. But one day after Redman signed his national letter of intent, head coach Lou Tepper abruptly fired Landry. The move ignited controversy and ultimately led to Redman being released from his commitment. The NCAA voided Redman’s letter of intent and granted him full eligibility, and he went to play at Louisville in his hometown followed by an 11-year career in the NFL.