From 1A to the Fighting Illini: How a small school lineman worked his way to the Big Ten

Lena-Winslow senior Henry Engel will be suiting up with the Fighting Illini next fall when practices kick in after he recently earned a preferred walk-on spot with the University of Illinois.

Engel is from a small Class 1A school, which isn't the typical recruit for a Big Ten Conference school like Illinois. But he has a lot of strengths, and he found a way to get noticed.

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"It was crazy, at the visit I was the only 1A kid there, no doubt about it," Engel said of his visit to the campus at Champaign back on Jan. 28. "But they knew about Lena-Winslow. They knew me, and what I was doing."

As a walk-on, representatives from the University of Illinois would not comment on Engel or his situation until he's officially enrolled at the school.

But, according to Engel and Lena-Winslow defensive coordinator (and head wrestling coach) Kevin Milder, here are the top three reasons the former Panther is Illini-bound.

1) Back-to-back titles

Engel and the Panthers won state titles the past two years, and both came in pretty dominant fashion. Le-Win won the crown with a 58-20 rout in the championship game two years ago. This past fall, they claimed another 1A state title with a 38-25 blowout in the title game.

This latest push to titles has been no fluke. The Panthers have turned into one of the most dominant teams at the 1A level the state has ever seen. That helps draw eyes to top players.

"It has to," Milder said. "When you have a program like this, with the kind of success we've had, it makes college coaches look over."

Three and four years ago Iowa recruited and signed a pair of Le-Win football players in defensive tackle Isaiah Bruce and offensive lineman Gennings Dunker. Before those two, there had never been a Division I scholarship given out to a Le-Win player, and only two walked on to Power-5 programs. Engel got the next best thing to a scholarship with a preferred walk-on spot.

2) A proven run-stopper

While Engel was a strong and powerful offensive linemen who helped the Panthers grind their way through defenses the last couple of years, he has been recruited by Illinois as a defensive lineman, and he knows why.

"We've been a very good running team forever, and we know how to stop the run, too," Engel said. "I've learned how to do it at one of the best places to do it at. ... I can get better, for sure, but they know I have a good base."

Engel had 49 tackles and a fumble recovery playing nose tackle and defensive end, and he was a big part of a defense that allowed less than 50 yards rushing per game during the regular season, and less than 20 points a game the whole year.

"They said they saw me playing at nose tackle for them some day," he said. "I'm ready to show them I can be their guy wherever they want me."

3) Heavyweight wrestling power

Engel had a strong senior wrestling season, going 47-10 and getting all the way to the IHSA state tournament before bowing out without a medal.

He continued to work out during the season, and continued to show his power and strength on the mat. He bolted out of the gates with 10 first-period pins in the season's first month.

"He proved a lot this wrestling season," Milder said. "He just showed his pure power a lot out there."

On a scholarship mission

Engel is anxious to get to work on the Fighting Illini's strength and conditioning program, and diving into the playbook. But that, too, will have to wait until he steps on campus in the fall.

This year the Illini have 85 scholarships, and expect to have 122 players on the roster. Most of those other 37 spots will be filled by walk-ons, both preferred and tryout players. They all receive the same treatment, on and off the field, except the cheaper tuition and other financial perks reserved for a scholarship athlete.

A small percentage of walk-ons eventually earn scholarships.

"Kids work their way up, and they do get scholarships," Engel said. "That's my first mission."

Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: How Lena-Winslow's Henry Engel went from small school to Big Ten