No. 27: Ainslie Johnson, TE
Why he’s important: Illinois has hit the junior college recruiting trail hard during Tim Beckman’s nearly four years leading the Illini program. Johnson is a fruit of that labor. The tight end was a December pickup for the Illini, committing and then signing his letter of intent all within a matter of weeks. Johnson brought a physicality to the field that stood out right away this past spring after he enrolled early at Illinois. The Illini used him more in a traditional H-back role, with Johnson oftentimes lined up in the backfield.