Johnsburg tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, ranked No. 4 at his position and No. 99 overall nationally by Rivals.com, has a new college leader: Illinois.

"I'm down to three, but right now Illinois is out in front," Fiedorowicz said.

"Just because of the people. They were just awesome. Originally, I was Iowa before I came here. I wasn't really thinking about even giving Illinois a chance when I came out here. But I gave them a chance and I loved it."

The 6-6, 250-pounder, had an impressive performance during Saturday's 7-on-7 passing tournament, showing his speed and athleticism with several highlight-reel catches. When he went up for the ball against multiple defenders, Fiedorowicz usually won the battle.

"Besides the sore part, I had fun," Fiedorowicz said. "I wish we would have got first (Johnsburg finished second in its division.)"

Now, Illinois is fighting to land him for its growing 2010 class. The Illini coaches spent most of Saturday afternoon watching Fiedorowicz from the sidelines.

On Friday, Fiedorowicz toured the Illinois facilities. On Friday night, he spent time with Illinois quarterback recruit Chandler Whitmer.

"The campus is beautiful," Fiedorowicz said. "I like all of the coaches. You can talk to them like they're your good friends. People are great. Coach (Ron) Zook, it seems like I've known him a while, like he's a good friend."

Fiedorowicz said he wants to make a decision sometime during the football season. He plans to take official visits before making his choice.

"Illinois, in the home state, I kind of want to come here," Fiedorowicz said. "But Iowa uses their tight ends a lot, so it's going to be hard to come down to a final decision."

Besides Illinois and Iowa, Fiedorowicz is also considering Wisconsin. He has offers from many others, including LSU, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Fiedorowicz isn't letting the recruiting overwhelm him. He reads what he wants to read and throws out the rest.