Illini 2020 Signee: DT Anthony Shipton
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois just watched three defensive tackles go through the Senior Day celebration in the regular-season finale loss to Northwestern.
Due to the fact, Jamal Milan, Tymir Oliver and Kenyon Jackson will be playing their final game in the 2019 Redbox Bowl on Dec. 30, Illinois defensive line coach Austin Clark knew he’d need an instant impact interior defensive lineman for a critical upcoming 2020 season.
Enter Anthony Shipton.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound defensive tackle picked Illinois over offers from Arizona, Hawaii and UTEP after earning 40 tackles, four sacks, 5.5 TFLs, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery as a sophomore at Cerritos College.
Shipton was ranked the ninth-best junior college defensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class and will be given more than a great opportunity to earn playing time and even a starting position in his first season with the Illini.
Shipton, who is a native of Orange, Calif., told 247Sports.com that the Illini coaches told him in the recruiting process that he’d “come in and start” following his arrival in fall camp. Shipton, who is one of two junior college transfer signees in this Illini class with linebacker Lavar Gardner already signed Wednesday morning, could also play a big defensive end in short-yardage situations. The California native took his official visit to the Champaign-Urbana campus on Dec. 6 and committed to the Illini program just a few days later.
Shipton is part of a defensive line reload of this 2020 recruiting class where of the 11 expected to sign during the December early period, four are defensive linemen and three are likely to slot into interior spots.
Illinois will return juniors Calvin Avery, Deon Pate and Jamal Woods at defensive tackle but Shipton provides a unique ability to eat up double-team blocks and force the running game out toward the perimeter.