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WATCH: Illinois freshman WR showing off incredible hands at practice
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If Illinois is going to improve from its 3-9 mark from a season ago, it’s going to need to find some playmakers.
The Illini may have found one in fall camp.
During Illinois’ practice on Monday, Jeff George, Jr. fired a pass into coverage, aimed for a freshman wide receiver. And what should’ve been an incomplete pass turned into a pretty impressive catch:
Jeff George Jr ➡️ @Kendallsmith_23 = 💵💵💵#Illini freshman with impressive one-handed grab at practice @IlliniFootball @IlliniAthletics pic.twitter.com/Yp2a8SoG85
— Craig Choate (@craigwchoate) August 14, 2017
The receiver on the other end of that pass? That’s Kendall Smith.
Smith is a three-star wide receiver out of Bolingbrook, Ill. He was ranked as the 19th-best player out of his home state and held offers from 10 FBS offers.
With hands like that, the freshman might be making a difference a little quicker than expected.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB