CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois secondary isn’t built entirely with Florida natives, but second-year coach Bret Bielema is apparently just as much a fan of that recruiting approach as his predecessor. The Illini added another Monday with the commitment of Class of 2023 athlete Kenari Wilcher, who will likely land at cornerback.
Wilcher is the second Florida defensive back in the 2023 class for Illinois after Fort Myers (Fla.) Riverdale safety Jaheim Clarke committed last month. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Wilcher is from Clewiston, Fla., and plays at nearby Moore Haven High School in south central Florida.
Wilcher is ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals, but is unranked by both 247Sports and On3. He committed to Illinois over a mix of Power 5, Group of 5 and FCS offers. Also involved in Wilcher’s recruitment were Indiana, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Fordham, James Madison, Kentucky, Rhode Island, USF and Western Kentucky.
The addition of Wilcher pushes Illinois’ 2023 recruiting class to 15. Ten of them, now including Wilcher, have committed in the last month. The Illini’s class currently ranks 11th in the Big Ten and 42nd nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
Illinois will have 17 defensive backs on its roster for the 2022 season. Eight of them are from Florida, including two returning starters in cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Quan Martin in addition to Tahveon Nicholson, who is in line to start opposite Witherspoon at the other cornerback spot.
Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
