Writing Illini
Fansided

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

A pair of four-star Illinois commits were visiting Champaign over the weekend and made sure everyone knew that they were locked in on the Fighting Illini.
BySam Fariss|
Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema celebrates a 50-49 win over the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium.
Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema celebrates a 50-49 win over the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

A big weekend of official visits lay ahead of the Illinois Fighting Illini and head coach Bret Bielema, but with the pressure on, two blue-chip commits reassured the world that they were only looking toward Champaign for their futures in the sport.

A pair of four-star linebackers, Cam Thomas and Kaedyn Cobbs, from the class of 2026 shared that they were both more than 100 percent locked in on the Fighting Illini ahead of their OVs with the program that weekend.

Bielema did a fantastic job with his recruiting class of 2025, bringing in the No. 44 nationally ranked group in the nation. For the class of 2026, he was trending in an even better direction, with 16 commitments and the No. 26 class in the country so far.

Both Thomas and Cobbs are a big part of Bielema's success with the upcoming class as two of the three four-star recruits that the Illinois head coach has recruited so far this cycle.

Alongside the two four-star linebackers are 14 other star-rated recruits who have already committed to the Fighting Illini.

Illinois football recruiting class of 2026

  • Kayden Cobbs, four-star linebacker
  • Cam Thomas, four-star linebacker
  • Nasir Rankin, four-star wide receiver
  • Javari Barnett, three-star running back
  • Casey Thomann, three-star offensive tackle
  • Tony Williams, three-star linebacker
  • Kenyon Alston, three-star wide receiver
  • King Liggins, three-star defensive lineman
  • Landen Von Seggern, three-star interior offensive lineman
  • Kingston Shaw, three-star EDGE
  • Parker Crim, three-star EDGE
  • Michael Clayton, three-star quarterback
  • Almirian Thomas, three-star cornerback
  • Davon Grant, three-star wide receiver
  • Tony Balanganayi, three-star interior offensive lineman
  • Jacob Alexander, three-star EDGE

To put it lightly, Bielema has been on a recruiting tear in comparison to previous years with the Fighting Illini, setting up the Illinois football program for success for years to come. Notably, the recruitment window for the class of 2026 is far from over, with national signing day still nearly a year away.