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Illinois Football Offers Sophomore State Champion Quarterback From Michigan
Nov 11, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema reacts to a call during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois Football Offers Sophomore State Champion Quarterback From Michigan

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jared Shlensky  |  Last updated Jun 3, 2025 3:31 PM ET

Not many freshmen suit up, let alone start, for their varsity football team It's even rarer for a quarterback to do it. Apparently, no one informed Donald Tabron II.Not only did Tabron start as a freshman, but he also completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for more than 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns while leading Cass Tech (Detroit) to a Michigan state championship.

So impressed were Illinois coach Bret Bielema and his staff by Tabron that they offered him a scholarship on Monday.

Tabron, a MaxPreps Freshman All American, currently has more than 20 scholarship offers, including a pair of out of the SEC – from Auburn and Kentucky – and another eight out from Big Ten schools: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin and, of course, Illinois. After having already attended a couple showcases, Tabron can likely be counted on to attend more, plus a couple of camps, over the summer.

At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Tabron has excellent size for a sophomore-to-be, and he should receive more offers over the summer from various Power 4 programs. Tabron has a bright future ahead of him – the question is whether the Illini will be a part of it on his side of the field or opposite him.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Basketball Projected as Top-10 Team for 2025-26 by a Key Metric

Illinois Respected in Andy Katz's Power 37, But Still Trails Conference Foes

Top Five Big Ten Returners for 2025-26: Braden Smith, Tomislav Ivisic and More

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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