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4-star IOL announces decision day and includes Illinois in final 6 schools

A four-star interior offensive lineman out of Florida is just days away from deciding between the Illinois Fighting Illini and five other programs.
BySam Fariss|
Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman J.C. Davis (74) in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium.
Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman J.C. Davis (74) in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Head coach Bret Bielema took yet another step in the right direction when it comes to landing a four-star prospect from the class of 2026. Interior offensive lineman Micah "Champ" Smith announced his decision day on Wednesday, including the Illinois Fighting Illini in his final six schools.

Smith, who will commit on Saturday, June 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. CT), included Illinois alongside the South Carolina Gamecocks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and UCLA Bruins.

The four-star IOL shared on social media that he would announce his commitment at his high school gym in Fort Pierce, FL. Currently, despite Bielema and Illinois throwing a lot of what they have into Smith's recruitment process, he is projected to commit to the Bruins or the Buckeyes, according to On3.

However, also according to On3, even Smith's home-state teams (the Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes, UCF Knights, and Florida State Seminoles) have a better chance at landing the IOL, despite those four programs not being included in his final six teams.

In the class of 2026, Smith is the No. 13 interior offensive lineman in the nation and the No. 26 overall athlete out of the state of Florida.

More likely than not, the Fighting Illini will see returning offensive linemen like Josh Kreutz, Brandon Henderson, and Josh Gesky appear as the team's starting IOL positions. However, amassing more and more talented depth chart is priceless.

Bielema currently has a handful of underclassmen like Michael McDonough and Kellen Francis, who will most likely rise in the depth chart following this season. In the recruiting class of 2026, Bielema has two IOLs committed to his program: three-star prospects Landen Von Seggern and Tony Balanganayi.

Also read: 4-star LBs reassure Fighting Illini they aren't looking anywhere other than Illinois

As of now, with 16 total blue-chip commitments, the Fighting Illini have the No. 26 overall recruiting class of 2026 in the country.

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