Illinois Football: East St. Louis LB Antwon Hayden commits to the Illini

The Illinois football team has added to the family on Tuesday morning.

Just about a week ago, the Illini had their first commitment for 2023 in the form of Kaden Feagin. He is a four-star recruit from Arthur, Illinois. His commitment alone gives Illinois the No. 50 ranked recruiting class.

Bret Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff added to the Feagin commitment on Tuesday with another in-state recruit.

Antwon Hayden took to Twitter to announce that he has committed to the Illini. This is a big addition to the Illinois roster and one that will help the defense tremendously.

Hayden is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker from East St. Louis High School and resides in East St. Louis, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 695 player in the class of 2023. He is also the No. 57 linebacker in the country and the No. 14 player coming out of a deep Illinois class.

Antwon Hayden gives Illinois football depth at the linebacker position.

I am excited about Hayden’s commitment because there is such a rich talent pool coming out of East St. Louis. To get a slice of that pie is nice for the program and could be great for the future of Illinois recruiting.

Hayden joining the Illini gives the program more depth at a crucial position. In a chat with Hayden, he mentioned to the Writing Illini that he can play either inside or outside linebacker, but Illinois says they are eyeing him for the inside role.

Illinois doesn’t have a ton of experience at inside linebacker entering the 2022 campaign as it is, so adding Hayden for 2023 is important. By the time 2023 rolls around, the Illini will most likely have Calvin Hart Jr. and Tarique Barnes as the two main inside linebackers. They will both be seniors, though.

I believe that would leave Hayden the ability to come in and actually make an impact from day one. It wouldn’t shock me to see him get snaps as a true freshman.

This is a big commitment for the current Illinois football class of 2023 and for the future. Bielema has the Illini recruiting well, and the results will start showing on the football field. The future is bright for this program.