VIDEO: Illini Now/SI Morning Update With Matthew Stevens - July 7, 2020
Illini Now/Sports Illustrated publisher/editor Matthew Stevens talks about the verbal commitment of three-star defensive back DD Snyder to Illinois.
The recruiting momentum of the Fighting Illini in the state of Florida continued Monday with the verbal pledge of three-star 2021 prospect Demond “DD” Snyder from Tampa Catholic High School. Snyder announced his commitment live via Instagram from the Tampa Catholic gymnasium.
Snyder becomes the seventh Florida prospect of the Illini’s 11 verbal commitment of the 2021 recruiting class joining three-star safety prospect Joriell Washington from Fort Myers, three-star Daytona Beach athlete Theodore Lockley, three-star wide receiver Patrick Bryant, three-star defensive back Daniel Edwards, three-star linebackers Trevor Moffitt and Dylan Rosiek.
The Illini coaching staff, led by head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, have addressed the future depth of its defensive backfield in bulk during this coronavirus pandemic by getting verbal commitments from Sndyer, Edwards, Washington and Georgia product Prince Green all while everything permitted in recruiting has been nothing more than a Zoom video meeting and phone call. None of those three prospects from the southeast portion of the nation have even seen the University of Illinois campus.
- One other note: The Illini Now/Sports Illustrated site will continue to monitor the situation going on at Rutgers. In an email sent out Monday morning addressed to students, faculty, and staff, Rutgers University announced the upcoming fall 2020 semester classes will be conducted mostly online with limited in-person instruction. As far athletics, Rutgers officials have said all athletics department moves regarding decision on fall sports being played will be based on New Jersey governor Phil Murphy’s statewide orders and approvals and recommendations from the Big Ten officials in Chicago including league commissioner Kevin Warren. Illinois is slated to play at Rutgers on Oct. 3 in what is scheduled to be the Illini’s first road game of the 2020 schedule and the Big Ten Conference opener for Lovie Smith’s program after they play non-conference home games against Illinois State, Connecticut and Bowling Green in September.