Illinois Football Offers Four-Star Defensive Back From Chicago Prep Powerhouse

And the way things have been going on the recruiting front for coach Bret Bielema and his staff, it would be hard to imagine that the Illini don't have a legitimate shot at landing Harrington. Illinois locked up two-sport star Nasir Rankin last month, Bielema received a verbal commitment Tuesday from the top recruit out of Connecticut in Kayden Bennett, and on Friday the Illini landed four-star defensive back Nick Hankins Jr.

Harrington hasn't yet narrowed down his top schools, but considering he has nearly 30 offers on the table, don't be surprised if he starts paring down before the fall. Including the offer from the Illini, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Harrington has 13 total offers from Big Ten schools: Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin . He has six more from SEC programs Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and Vanderbilt, as well as an offer from Notre Dame.

Harrington hasn't visited Champaign yet, which Bielema and his staff surely hope will be the next step. The reality is, the Illini have a lot of work ahead of them to win over Harrington. But they have already pulled off the improbable on the recruting trail more than once this offseason. Could Harrington be another unexpected win?

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