Six must-win in-state recruits for Illinois this summer

I try to avoid bouts of hyperbole in this job.

If you get caught up in the sports media industrial complex, you get a lot of people firing up the hot take machine and spreading insane, clickbait-driven opinions.

So please note that I intend to do no such thing when I state that this is Bret Bielema’s most important recruiting class yet as Illinois’ head coach.

Yes, this one is even more important than his first full class.

Sure, the first class set a core expectation for Illinois as a developmental program. But the class of 2024 is setting the foundation for the next evolution of Illinois football.

This is a different conference than the one Bielema re-entered.

Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

Big Ten football goes in waves. Ohio State was the dominant brand until Jim Tressel’s controversy derailed the program. Bielema himself used those off years to…