One of the top ATH recruits in the nation, Kaden Feagin, will be staying home to play for Illinois in college. Feagin chose Illinois over offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan, Miami, Iowa, Wisconsin and others.
Feagin is a four-star prospect and currently ranked No. 168 overall in the 2023 class. He had 13 power-five offers when he committed to Illinois earlier today.
What the Illini are getting:
Kaden Feagin is as physically impressive of an ATH prospect that you will find in the 2023 class. At 6-foot-2 240 pounds, this is a big man that can flat out move and has a dynamic skill-set typically only seen from skill position players half his size. He is strong, has great feet and top end speed rarely seen from a player carrying his type of weight. While highly ranked from a national perspective, and a list of offers which includes many of college football's traditional powers, one could even argue that Feagin is a tad under-rated and under-recruited. He really has the ability to be that good at the next level.
While we know Feagin is a big body with a big-time skill-set, there are still questions as to what position he will play at the next level. There are a number of positions on both sides of the ball where Feagin could potentially thrive, so it will be interesting to see what kind of plan Brett Bielema and staff have for him once he arrives on campus. He has the size and skill-set to be the prototype at linebacker, but you could also argue that he brings a lot of value on the offensive side of the ball as well.
Why it's big for Illinois:
The list of reasons as to why this is big for Illinois is quite extensive. Extensive to the point that it is hard to choose one reason that trumps the rest. Instead, I have decided to make a list of why this is big for Illinois in many ways.
1. Illinois just beat seven teams from their own conference for a four-star prospect who was likely a take for all of the conference foes that offered him. That doesn't even include the fact that Notre Dame was considered a top team in his recruitment. This is exactly how you close the talent gap within the conference and in the Midwest overall.
2. Feagin's current ranking of No. 168 in the nation makes him the highest rated in-state player that Illinois has landed since QB Aaron Bailey in 2013. Bielema and staff have put the work into making Illinois a priority from the moment they stepped on campus and Feagin's commitment is an early indication that their hard work is paying off.
3. Illinois has only singed three players that ranked among the state's top 10 players since 2014. Feagin currently ranks as the No. 3 prospect in the state which also makes him the highest rated of the previous three top 10 in-state players they have landed.
4. This is pure speculation, but when the state's other top recruits see that an elite player is staying home, that can change the whole perception of how the state's elite prospects view the program. Feagin's commitment could potentially create a lot of momentum for recruiting within the state.
5. There are no guarantees in recruiting, but chances are that a player of Feagin's caliber will have an immediate impact when he arrives on campus. He has a chance to be a special player and from a physical standpoint he is already capable of withstanding the wear and tear that comes with playing in the Big-Ten
These are just a few of the reasons of why this commitment is so big for Illinois and this is one that should have Illinois fans fired up about the future.
