Illinois Recruiting
Class dashboards, positional mix, and pipeline geography.
- 2026 Commits
- 15
- Average Stars
- 3.33
- Blue Chips
- 5
- Pipeline States
- 8
Recruiting contextIllinois recruiting pipelineRead context
Recruiting results explain where the future roster is coming from before those players show up in season stats. This tab groups Illinois commits by class year, position, star rating, hometown, and high school so the pipeline is easier to read than a flat list.
The selected 2026 class includes 15 commits, including 5 blue-chip prospects, with an average star rating of 3.33. Use the national rankings link to compare the class against the rest of college football.
Recruiting answers
Illinois recruits and commits
- Where can I find Illinois football recruits?
- This page tracks Illinois football recruits by class year, with the selected 2026 class showing 15 recruits, positions, star ratings, high schools, hometowns, and national ranking links when available.
- How many Illinois recruits are in the 2026 class?
- Illinois's selected 2026 recruiting class includes 15 recruits, including 5 four- or five-star prospects.
- What recruiting details are available for Illinois commits?
- CFBTrack shows commit position mix across 10 position groups, star ratings, ratings, high school context from 15 high schools, hometown pipeline geography, and links into class rankings.
Class DNA
2026 Illinois: Balanced class
Balanced class built from class size, blue-chip share, top-end talent, position balance, and pipeline geography.
Outcome snapshot: 0 matched transfer departures from this selected class, with broader win and development context available in Talent Usage.
- Class Score
- 106.06
- Blue-Chip Rate
- 33.3%
- Top Position
- Defensive Lineman
- Top Pipeline
- IL
Recruiting Dashboard
Explore recruiting classes by season, track positional balance, and visualize incoming talent pipelines.
Total Commits
15
Average Stars
3.33
Blue-Chip Recruits
5(33%)
Top Pipeline State
IL • 5
Portal Departures
None
Entire class retained so far.
Star Rating Mix
Distribution of commitments by star rating in 2026.
Positional Breakdown
Snapshot of position groups represented in the class.
Star Rating Trend
Recent average star ratings to visualize momentum on the recruiting trail.
Commit List
15 recruits found in 2026.
| Portal Status | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Hankins | CB | 4★ | 94.6 | 6'0" | 190 lbs | Belleville, IL | Belleville West | Retained |
| Micah Smith | IOL | 4★ | 91.8 | 6'6" | 325 lbs | Vero Beach, FL | Vero Beach | Retained |
| Nasir Rankin | ATH | 4★ | 91.0 | 6'0" | 180 lbs | Chicago, IL | Morgan Park | Retained |
| Kai Pritchard | IOL | 4★ | 89.7 | 6'5" | 290 lbs | Toms River, NJ | Donovan Catholic | Retained |
| Jacob Eberhart | LB | 4★ | 89.5 | 6'3" | 200 lbs | St. Louis, MO | Kirkwood | Retained |
| Javari Barnett | RB | 3★ | 88.9 | 6'0" | 205 lbs | Tampa, FL | Tampa Bay Tech | Retained |
| Parker Crim | EDGE | 3★ | 88.9 | 6'3" | 235 lbs | Elida, OH | Elida | Retained |
| Isaiah Williams | S | 3★ | 88.3 | 6'0" | 190 lbs | Missouri City, TX | Fort Bend Marshall | Retained |
| King Liggins | DL | 3★ | 86.9 | 6'2" | 285 lbs | Chicago, IL | Brother Rice | Retained |
| Will Vala | TE | 3★ | 86.7 | 6'3" | 225 lbs | Downers Grove, IL | Downers Grove North | Retained |
| Kingston Shaw | EDGE | 3★ | 86.6 | 6'3" | 235 lbs | Orlando, FL | The First Academy | Retained |
| Kaedyn Cobbs | LB | 3★ | 86.4 | 6'0" | 195 lbs | Denton, TX | Guyer | Retained |
| Jacob Alexander | EDGE | 3★ | 86.3 | 6'4" | 240 lbs | Frankfort, IL | Lincoln-Way East | Retained |
| Nelsyn Wheeler | RB | 3★ | 86.3 | 5'9" | 200 lbs | Omaha, NE | Millard South | Retained |
| Jack Gray | P | 3★ | 82.4 | 6'0" | 180 lbs | Australia, AUST | ProKick Australia | Retained |
Next best actions
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