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4-star Illinois commit trying to be a guiding light in massive recruitment

Illinois football is doing a great job recruiting, and now some of our commits are doing some of the work.
ByRees Woodcock|
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Malik Elzy (8) and Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ashton Hollins (2) lead the team out of the tunnel before the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Malik Elzy (8) and Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ashton Hollins (2) lead the team out of the tunnel before the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

It is June, and you know what that means for Illinois football fans, right?

Well, there are two things for most Illini fans. One is the constant threat of tornadoes. Two, it is official visit season, and the future can be shaped by the month of June.

This past weekend, Bret Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff hosted some of the best players left on the board. College recruiting is tough, and when you can get that many talented players in the building for an official visit, you have to impress.

One of the biggest visitors, according to the rankings, was Nick Hankins. The 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback from Belleville West High School in Illinois took in the scenery and what the Illini had to offer. On Monday, he posted on social media a little teaser of whether Champaign was the place to be.

While it is always fun to see a recruit posting about the program, it is even more fun to see current commits trying to recruit those players to come to Illinois.

The top response you will see to Hankins’ post is Illinois commit Cam Thomas. The linebacker had some simple words for Hankins, “You know the move! Easy choice.”

Those are words any Illinois fan loves to hear, but we all hope that Hankins accepts that advice and ends up pledging to the Orange and Blue. He would give Illinois one impressive recruiting class, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Illinois football could have a great one-two punch on defense with two four-star additions

I thought it was pretty impressive when Illinois landed Thomas. Pulling in a four-star recruit from the state of Ohio is a difficult task. They have a giant in Ohio State always lurking, so this was a great get for Bielema.

Illinois doesn’t seem to be done with just one four-star, though. Hankins is a four-star recruit who is the No. 352 player in the class of 2026 and the No. 27 cornerback in the country. He is also the No. 10 player coming out of Illinois.

Before Bielema, when the Illini landed one four-star recruit, it was mind-boggling. We already have multiple pledges for 2026, and adding Hankins would give us two four-star commits on the defensive side of the ball.

Can you imagine in 2026 or 2027 when we have a destructive duo like Hankins in the secondary and Thomas at linebacker? That is something that should be pitched every time they are in the room. The future of Illinois football, on the defensive side of the ball, runs through those two. Now let’s land Hankins and keep building.

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