Illinois Football: Bret Bielema adds another piece to the Illini offensive line

Illinois football might be putting together one of the best offensive lines we have seen in years.

The Illini offensive line is arguable the most important aspect of the program. Without a great offensive line, the offensive can’t move the ball down the field. That is why stockpiling talent on the offensive line is so important.

Illinois had three offensive linemen take an official visit this past weekend. TJ McMillen and Zach Aamland were two of those three offensive linemen, and they were both committed to the Illini before visiting. The lone offensive lineman who wasn’t committed but was visiting was Rico Jackson.

On Sunday, Jackson changed that narrative and decided to join McMillen and Aamland. He took to Twitter to announce that he too was committing to the Illinois football program.

Landing Jackson is a pretty big deal for the Orange and Blue. He is a 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive tackle from Dillard High School and resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1131 player in the class of 2023. Jackson is also the No. 103 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 166 player coming out of Florida.

Rico Jackson is an extremely underrated commitment for the Illinois football program.

People might see the sub-1000 ranking and think this isn’t a great get for the Illini. They see that number on paper and just kind of ignore it. I am telling you right now, don’t ignore Jackson. This kid has talent.

If you don’t look at the numbers and just look at the scholarship offers, you can tell Jackson is a really good offensive lineman. Out of the roughly 19 scholarship offers, some of the bigger programs Illinois was able to beat out for his commitment include Arizona State, Miami (FL), Michigan, and Cincinnati.

There is a lot to love about Jackson’s game. Technique-wise, I think he is still raw, but the Illinois coaching staff can help with that. I love the way Jackson continuously keeps his legs moving. He isn’t a slow stationary big man. This kid can move and move his defender out of the play.

Illinois now has three offensive linemen committed for 2023. They will be added to the seven offensive linemen Bret Bielema was able to bring in from the class of 2022. If you can’t tell how Bielema is building this program, I think it is pretty easy to see now. He is building it starting with the trenches.