ESPN Midwest recruiting Blog

Posted by Bill Kurelic

It was a busy weekend for defensive lineman Bruce Gaston (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita). The 6-foot-3, 304 pounder received his seventh scholarship offer on Friday and it was a big one. The offer came from Illinois.

"I talked to their coach and he said they watched my tape and they wanted to offer me," Gaston said.

The Fighting Illini join Michigan State, Indiana, Wyoming, Bowling Green, Western Michigan and Central Michigan to offer Gaston.

"I'm expecting a lot more," Gaston said. "I go to Iowa's camp on Saturday. And I'm going to camps at Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Arizona."

When asked to name his favorite, Gaston said, "At this point it's between Illinois and Michigan State, but I'm still weighing my options."

After landing the offer from Illinois, Gaston headed for the home of the Fighting Illini the next morning. Gaston was in Champaign on Saturday for the Nike Football Training Camp at War Memorial Stadium.

"I really liked it," Gaston said. "There was a lot of good competition. When I got the invitation I worked out hard to get ready. I think I was prepared."

Indeed he was.

Gaston had an impressive performance on Saturday and his battles with offensive lineman Zach Fulton (Homewood, Ill./Flossmoor) were among the camp highlights.

Gaston was not even a varsity starter at the beginning of his junior season, however, by the middle of the season Gaston was a key contributor. By the end of the season he had registered close to 40 tackles as his team finished with a 12-2 record. Gaston is now among the top prospects in the state of Illinois.

Meredith looks to build on Nike camp

Quarterback Cameron Meredith (Westchester, Ill./Saint Joseph) likely helped his cause at the Illinois NFTC on Saturday. The 6-3, 175-pounder threw the ball well at War Memorial Stadium and showed he belonged among the outstanding group of quarterbacks at the camp.

"I really liked it," Meredith said. "I played with the best athletes out there. It gave me a lot of exposure."

Meredith is hoping to build off the momentum he created on Saturday in Champaign.

"I go to Ball State for a one-day camp on Friday," he said. "I go to Northern Illinois for camp on Sunday. I go the Memphis' camp on June 22. I go to the Elite 11 in Las Vegas on June 27. And I go to camp at Ole Miss on July 25."

His trip to Ole Miss will be his second visit with the Rebels.

"Right now I like Ole Miss the most," Meredith said. "I was there for a junior day in April and I really liked the school and the atmosphere."

During his junior season, Meredith played on a team that finished with a 2-7 record. However, he still threw for 1,250 yards and 10 touchdowns.