Illinois football’s pursuit of one of the nation’s top playmakers has taken a rather unexpected turn. Four-star wide receiver and East St. Louis standout Jeff Thomas eliminated the Fighting Illini from his recruitment on Thursday night by narrowing his college list to Louisville, Miami (FL), and Oregon. According to 247Sports, Thomas is the nation’s No. 40 overall prospect and No. 6 wideout.
As recently as January 1, Thomas maintained that the Fighting Illini were his top choice. Those comments came on the heels of a record-setting MVP performance (3 REC for 148 YDS and 2 TD) in the Under Armour All-American game.