Lovie Smith needs wins in recruiting more than on the field this year

When Illinois offensive coordinator Garrick McGee walks into a recruit's living room, he is ready with his introduction line.

"It's the opening statement when you're recruiting: 'Do you know who Lovie Smith is?'" McGee said. "And they go, 'Yes!' You sell that you're going to be playing for a proven professional football coach."

The Illini's best selling point is the man in charge.

The coaching staff hit the road during last week's open date on the schedule for the first time since getting hired in March, hampered by the NCAA's so-called "Saban Rule" that prohibits coaches from evaluating recruits in person during the spring.

"The message is the University of Illinois is a great place for an athlete to come to school," Smith said. "We flooded the country as much as we possibly could, seeing who's available and who will be available. The response was really good."

Illinois opens the Big Ten season Saturday at Nebraska (4-0) as three-touchdown underdogs. After a disappointing 1-2 start — which surely doesn't help recruiting efforts — it's hard to imagine this season ending with a winning record.

When Smith was hired, victory-starved Illini fans clamored about Big Ten championships and bowl victories. But Illinois isn't going to be a quick fix.

This season should be judged not by the victories on the field but by the commitments on the recruiting trail.

While most coaches have been targeting certain recruits for several years, the Illini staff was meeting many face to face for the first time. The 2017 class that signs in February should be graded on a curve given the late start, but it's fair to judge the direction the Illini are headed. And the 2018 class should be especially telling.

The current class of 12 players is ranked 55th nationally and 11th in the Big Ten in the recruiting service 247Sports.com's composite rankings, which aggregate the four major services. Scout.com ranks the Illini's 2017 class 46th nationally.

Brother Rice wide receiver Ricky Smalling, a four-star recruit according to some services, committed to Illinois in April over offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Syracuse. Guard Larry Boyd of St. Louis, at 6-foot-5 and 332 pounds, has the kind of size not seen lately on Illini recruits. Smith and his staff beat out Missouri for both Boyd and cornerback Tony Adams of St. Louis.

"All those doors that were closed before are open," said Jeremy Werner, publisher of Illini Inquirer, which is part of the Scout.com network.

They'll need to knock down some heavy doors for the 2018 class. Four-star Mount Carmel offensive tackle Verdis Brown — the top recruit in the state — is fielding offers from powerhouse programs such as Ohio State, Florida State and Michigan State.

"That's a litmus test," Werner said. "You have a year and a half to recruit him. You have to win those to be where you want to be eventually. Can Lovie Smith keep a kid like that in the state?"

He better get some like that. That's what counts right now. More than collecting wins, it's about collecting top recruits to build the program.

Smith hasn't been on the recruiting trail in more than 20 years, when he was last in the college ranks as an assistant at Ohio State.

"I do believe it's like riding a bike," Smith said. "It's not like I've been in a third-world country or anything like that. I've been dealing with people. I've dealt with parents before. I've talked to people before. We have a great product to sell here."

They just need buyers.