Illini 2020 Signee: LB Lavar Gardner
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Like any other junior college talent, Illinois coaches hope Lavar Gardner can come in right away and fill and an immediate need for depth and playmaking ability. The 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker led Hutchinson Community College with 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
According to 247Sports.com, Gardner, who has been primarily recruited by Illini linebackers coach Miles Smith, took his official campus visit to Champaign-Urbana on Dec. 6-8. Gardner, who also had scholarship offers from Nebraska, Southern Mississippi, Texas State and Massachusetts, was originally signed out of high school, to Football Championship Subdivision program Samford. Gardner, who was the No. 3 ranked junior college outside linebacker, had 31 tackles and one tackle for loss as a freshman at Samford.
Gardner was named the 2017 Atlanta Journal Constitution 5A Defensive Player of the Year at Columbia (Ga.) High School, playing both linebacker and safety as he finished his prep career with 137 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown. Gardner would likely be expected to provide depth at both linebacker, where Illinois will be losing Dele Harding after this season to graduation.
While Illinois has seen a rejuvenation in the current 2019 season with the influx of graduate transfers, Gardner would be only the fifth junior college signee of the Lovie Smith era and the 2019 Illinois roster currently only has two players who came directly from a junior college.