The youth movement of 2017 and 2018 is starting to come of age as the 2019 Illini look to have the deepest defensive line in Lovie’s tenure. Accordingly, sophomore defensive tackle Calvin Avery is expected be one of the centerpieces, literally and figuratively, on the defensive line.
Widely considered to be the jewel of the Illini’s 2018 recruiting class, Avery hails from Dallas, Texas (Bishop Dunne H.S) and was a four-star in the 247 composite rankings. Coming out of high school, he was one of the Top-20 defensive tackles in the country. In the high school tape below, you can see the explosiveness that makes Illini fans giddy about Avery’s future.