MADISON, WI – NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches his team prior to a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on November 12, 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
NCAABy Kevin Trahan on

Illinois is very bad at football. The Fighting Illini haven’t had a winning season since 2011 and haven’t won more than seven games since 2007.

So how do they stick out to recruits? Apparently by going after a 10-year-old who is faster than other 10-year-olds.

The coach of fourth-grader Bunchie Young tweeted that Young had received an offer from Illinois, and that tweet was retweeted by Illinois quarterback coach Garrick McGee.

There’s a lot of lunacy here. The biggest lunacy is that schools and coaches do this because they can’t show value by paying players, so instead they try to show value other ways. Other ludicrous aspects:

  • This offer isn’t committable until 2024, so it really means nothing.
  • Young won’t be a college freshman until 2025, which would be coach Lovie Smith’s 10th season, and Illinois hasn’t had a 10-year coach since 1959.
  • We have no idea whether Young will be a great football player.

Very excited for Illinois to offer a scholarship to Tom Brady’s next unborn child.

(h/t Max Preps)

About Kevin Trahan

Kevin mostly covers college football and college basketball, with an emphasis on NCAA issues and other legal issues in sports. He is also an incoming law student. He's written for SB Nation, USA Today, VICE Sports, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.

View all posts by Kevin Trahan