Illinois Offers Four-Star Tight End From New Jersey Football Family

On Wednesday, the Illini offered Don Bosco Prep's JT Geraci, who would be the third brother in his family to play college football

Nov 23, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema looks on during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This has been Illinois football's Jersey Week. On Wednesday, coach Bret Bielema and his staff offered sophomore Lukas Prock, from The Hun School of Princeton (New Jersey) – a day after the Illini offered four-star tight end JT Geraci, of New Jersey's famed Don Bosco Prep.

Blessed to receive an offer to Illinois!@IlliniFootball @RobbyDischer @artursitkowski4 @CoAcHKeLZZz3 @damehova9 @cody_high @RivalsFriedman@BobbyDeren @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @TomLoy247 @tomluginbill @craighaubert@mfarrellsports pic.twitter.com/LX0Y0whCo9

— JT Geraci (@jt_geraci) June 10, 2025

Illinois is the first Big Ten school to offer Geraci, who now has eight total offers, including a pair out of the SEC – from Florida and Vanderbilt – and four more from ACC schools Duke, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

Geraci, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end from the class of 2027, has already visited Pittsburgh and Syracuse, and the next step for Illinois would be to work on scheduling him for a trip to Champaign. Geraci comes from a football family – his brothers Mike (Michigan) and Alex (Dartmouth) have already been through the recruiting process, so he probably already knows how the whole thing works.

Geraci, who will be a junior this fall, could very well have north of 10 scholarship offers by the end of the new year. Being the first Big Ten team to offer him gives the Illini a bit of an advantage, but Rutgers and Maryland – "local" conference rivals – might very well come knocking on Geraci's door soon.

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