CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Mac Resetich officially joined the Illinois football team Wednesday as the team’s lone signee on the opening day of the February period. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety out of Spring Valley Hall High School is the 23rd player in the Class of 2023 for the Illini, joining Malik Elzy and 21 others who signed their National Letter of Intent in the early period in December.

Resetich is the ninth in-state player to ink with the Illini and 20th player from Illinois in the previous two classes to play for their state school. Attracting players from the state to Champaign has been a been point of emphasis for head coach Bret Bielema since he was hired in December 2020.

“I was in a hotel room in New Jersey when we signed the dotted line (to become the Illinois coach) and started calling high school coaches so literally from minutes on the job to where we are today, that’s the 20th high school player that we’ve signed and we’re not just signing them because they’re from Illinois, we think they can help us win championships,” Bielema said.

Mason Muragin	DL	N/A	Macomb, Mich.	BIO
Nate Guinn	TE	N/A	Vero Beach, Fla.	BIO
Jaheim Clarke	DB	N/A	Ft. Myers, Fla.	BIO
Jeremiah Warren	DL	N/A	Belleville, Mich.	BIO
Kenari Wilcher	ATH	N/A	Clewiston, Fla.	BIO
Zach Tobe	DB	N/A	Ocoee, Fla.	BIO
Zach Aamland	OL	N/A	South Brunswick, N.J.	BIO
Collin Dixon	WR	N/A	Tallmadge, Ohio	BIO
Kaden Feagin	RB	N/A	Atwood, Ill.	BIO
TJ McMillen	OL	N/A	Naperville, Ill.	BIO
Pat Farrell	OLB	N/A	Oak Lawn, Ill.	BIO
Alex Bray	DL	N/A	Chesterfield, Mo.	BIO
Jojo Hayden	LB	N/A	East St. Louis, Ill.	BIO
Brandon Henderson	OL	N/A	East St.Louis, Ill.	BIO
Trey Smith	OLB	N/A	Ocoee, Fla.	BIO
Declan Duley	P	N/A	El Paso, Ill.	BIO
Cal Swanson	QB	N/A	Ardmore, Okla.	BIO
Saboor Karriem	DB	N/A	West Orange, N.J.	BIO
Kaleb Patterson	DB	N/A	Jackson, Miss.	BIO
David Olano	K	N/A	Naperville, Ill.	BIO
Dezmond Schuster	OL	N/A	Gonzales, La.	BIO
Malik Elzy	WR	N/A	Chicago, Ill.	BIO
Mac Resetich	DB	N/A	Spring Valley, Ill.	BIO

The Class of 2023 ranks 43rd in the country according to 247Sports, the highest composite ranking for Illinois since 2011.

Illinois tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Ben Miller announced Wednesday he will not return to the field coaching this fall. Exactly one year ago to the day, Miller found out he had Stage 4 colon cancer. He started treatments and took a non-coaching role last fall but remained around the program. That will continue in 2023, with Bielema’s search for a new tight ends/special teams coach already underway. Miller said he’s in good spirits and all tests are positive for now but wants to continue focusing on his health.