Illinois Football: 2024 4-star offensive lineman commits to Illini

In what is now a shocking move, the Illinois football team just landed a four-star for the future.

Illinois needed some work on the offensive line. This season was rough to watch, as the Illini struggled to pass block. But help is now on the way.

On Monday afternoon, Andrew Dennis took to social media to announce that he is committing to Illinois. This isn’t just a regular commitment either. I would argue this is the biggest commitment of the Bret Bielema era.

Dennis, originally scheduled to make an announcement on January 6 at the All-American Bowl, decided to call things early and pick the Illini. He picked the Orange and Blue over teams like Penn State and Clemson, to name a couple.

Illinois now adds a great player to the offensive line. Dennis is a 6-foot-5, 275-pound interior offensive lineman from Mt. Pleasant High School in Michigan. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 159 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 5 interior offensive lineman in the country and the No. 3 player coming out of Michigan.

Andrew Dennis adds to a crucial Illinois football class of 2024

Dennis is now the highest-rated recruit in the Illinois class of 2024, and he is the highest-rated recruit in the Bielema era with Malik Elzy coming in a close second.

Illinois needed to secure a commitment from a top offensive lineman like Dennis. The class of 2024 needed to address some serious issues on the roster, and Bielema is managing to accomplish those goals.

Dennis is going to compete for a starting job from day one. He is going to bolster the Illinois offensive line tremendously. I see him being a starter this upcoming season, considering the departures and lack of quality offensive line play in 2023.

Illinois also addressed the defensive line losing two key pieces in Jer’Zhan Newton and Keith Randolph Jr. We added players like Eddie Tuerk and Demetrius John who can both compete for snaps from day one.

All season long, Illinois had issues with running back injuries and depth. Ca’Lil Valentine will be an immediate help in this department. I also love that we are getting aid in the secondary with Vernon Woodward, and we are bolstering our linebacker corps with Josaiah Knight and Daniel Brown.

The class of 2024 is going to fill some big holes on the roster. Illinois needed a great group of players coming in. Bielema is putting together one of his best recruiting classes, and I can’t wait to see how they finish in the next couple of months.