Feb. 04--If there was ever a year for Illinois coach Tim Beckman to capitalize in recruiting, this was it.
The Illini played in their first bowl game in his tenure. Their six wins were triple their total in his first season in 2012.
The recruiting class that will sign letters of intent Wednesday is ranked 53rd nationally and 10th in the Big Ten, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. That's a bump up for Illinois, which finished 71st nationally and 13th in the conference in last year's rankings.
Still, the Illini could have brought in an even stronger class if not for the instability on the coaching staff. According to a source, Beckman has not been able to guarantee assistants a job beyond this season.
Although Beckman was retained after a 6-7 season that culminated in a loss to Louisiana Tech in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, his future remains a murky area that has undercut his recruiting abilities and scared off some recruits, the source said.
Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network said negative recruiting will always exist, especially for a coach who has yet to win a bowl game.
"Other schools use that against Illinois," Lemming said of the staff instability and lack of wins in Beckman's three-year tenure. "All is fair in love and recruiting. Perception is the key to recruiting."
Lemming said the perception could be changing for Illinois. He called this class "solid but not spectacular." He praised Beckman's work ethic, which has helped him land one four-star and 17 three-star recruits in the class of 21.
The group is led by four-star offensive lineman Gabe Megginson from Jacksonville, Ill. The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder is the No. 15 tackle in the country in the composite rankings. He's one of six offensive linemen in the class.
Beckman will reveal the complete class Wednesday evening at the Colonnades Club in Memorial Stadium. He added three-star Florida defensive back Trenard Davis on Tuesday and hopes to ink a few more on the final day to boost the class profile.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn, a four-star running back from Nashville, Tenn., will decide among Illinois, West Virginia, Louisville and Purdue. His high school teammate, cornerback Cameron Watkins, will pick either the Illini or Vanderbilt.
The Illini can shore up a weak area if they land defensive lineman Jamal Milan from Raby. He is also considering Minnesota, Indiana and Iowa State.
"If Jamal comes in, it's a good catch," Lemming said. "A lot of the Big Ten schools are coming after him."
Illinois is also in the hunt for three-star linebacker Dominic Sheppard from Miami, who originally committed to Wisconsin.
One concern in this class is the low number of in-state players. Only five hail from Illinois: Megginson, DeKalb running back Dre Brown, Champaign Centennial quarterback Jimmy Fitzgerald, Hales defensive back Patrick Nelson and Warren tight end Caleb Reams.
Once again, Illinois is bolstering its immediate needs with seven junior college players, three of whom are already enrolled. . Andrew Davis, from Iowa Western Community College, is considered one of the nation's top junior college tight ends.
sryan@tribpub.com
Twitter @sryantribune
