Isaiah Williams was one of the most ballyhooed recruits in the nation when he committed to the Fighting Illini in 2018. The then-QB was a consensus four-star recruit out of Trinity Catholic in St. Louis and had received offers from powerhouses like Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, LSU, and Penn State.
Williams literally could’ve played football ANYWHERE, yet he chose to stay close to home and suit up for the Illini.
For all the negative things that can be said about Lovie Smith, one thing he absolutely nailed was hiring Trinity’s then-head coach, Cory Patterson, as an assistant in 2018.