3-star Tennessee QB Trey Lowe on Illinois offer: "It means a lot."

The Latest: Illinois joined the offer list of three-star quarterback Trey Lowe on Thursday afternoon, officially extending it when he was in town for a visit. The Illini become the first Power Five program to offer Lowe and quickly jump up on his list of favorites. Rivals.com caught up with Lowe to talk about the offer and what it means for his recruitment.

In His Words: "It means a lot to get an offer from a school with strong tradition. It's a top notch school academically, the facilities were nice, and I really liked the coaching staff. Talking to Coach Lovie Smith feels like talking to family. He clearly knows what he's talking about, because he's coached the best players at the highest level. This offer and visit moves them up my list but I understand the recruiting process is long so I'm taking my time."

Rivals Reaction: Both Illinois and N.C. State were jockeying to get Lowe on campus this week so the fact that he choose to head north instead of east is a good sign for his interest in the program. The Illini made a good impression on him not only because they offered, but because of how impressed he was with the staff and the campus. Lowe figures to hold off on a commitment until after the spring, but Illinois is now firmly in the mix.