Phillips three-star defensive back Joseph Thompson (5-foot-10, 160 pounds) back in March gave Iowa State his verbal commitment. However, several schools including Illinois continues to pursue Thompson, and last week Thompson decommitted from the Cyclones and gave Illinois his verbal commitment.
“The (Illinois) staff was on me pretty hard ever since I committed to Iowa State, and I made the decision probably about a week ago that I wanted to be with Illinois,” Thompson told Orange and Blue News' Jonas Plus. “I would say the feeling just kind of built over time. The whole staff never gave up on me when I committed, and they stayed with me even when I committed to Iowa State. I eventually just felt like it was the right move to go with Illinois.”
Thompson's decision gives the Fighting Illini 2019 class five known verbal commitments. Illinois will also continue to focus its attention heavily on two other Phillips standouts in three-star WR Fabian McCray and four-star tight end Jahleel Billingsley.
Loyola Academy junior defensive end recruit Armoni Dixon (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) has drawn steady recruiting offers and attention this spring including his latest offer from the University of Cincinnati.
"I know that Cincinnati plays in the AAC and that it's a good school and a good football program," Dixon said. "The coach from Cincinnati made an in school visit and watched one of my workouts. They are recruiting me as more of a Jack linebacker which is a hybrid between a defensive rush and and an outside linebacker. A lot of schools are recruiting me for either position so it's good with me."
Dixon, who has eight scholarship offers this spring, has also been drawing additional attention from a handful of Power 5 schools.
"Iowa and Missouri along with Michigan State have been in school," he said. "Those coaches all want me to camp with them this summer and seem pretty interested."
Marist sophomore wide receiver Jadon Thompson (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) has remained one of the most sought after names in what is already shaping up to be a very strong Class of 2020 in Illinois. So is Thompson, who added his 10th verbal offer from Michigan State on Thursday morning finding himself, starting to consider his college offers and option despite being more than two years of high school remaining?
"I would say I do a little bit," Thompson said. "I have a pretty good handle on what I'm looking for in a potential school. yet I also remind myself that I'm still just a sophomore in high school. I still have a long way to go before I can even start to get serious about college. I'm not in a rush these days to decide anything."
Homewood-Floosmoor is another school that is never short on athletes with big college potential. Sophomore offensive guard recruit Marcus Harper II (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) is yet another name to come out of the Home of the Vikings to watch, and Harper II has added three spring evaluation scholarship offers.
"It's been a blessing (adding three offers) and it makes me just work harder," Harper II said. "Western Michigan offered me first a few weeks ago. Last week I added offers from both Toledo and then Cincinnati and we've been seeing a lot of college coaches in school over the last week or two."
Harper II has drawn recruiting attention this spring from Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Iowa State, Northwestern, Duke, Boston College and Michigan State.