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4-star Missouri athlete has Illinois as a top contender for commitment

Illinois is keeping up with the big boys of the recruiting world, and the addition of this recruit would be massive for the program.
ByRees Woodcock|
Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema gets a hand from the crowd before the start of a game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema gets a hand from the crowd before the start of a game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois football has already made waves in the recruiting world, so why not turn those waves into a tsunami?

As of May 22, the Illini sit with the No. 8 class in the country for 2026. We have 16 commitments with the top player being the recent addition of super athlete, Nasir Rankin.

Rankin’s commitment was one of those that sent waves through the college football recruiting landscape. He is a top 100 recruit and someone who could have gone anywhere in the country. Illinois was his landing spot, though.

I want more waves. Illinois has plenty of options still left on the board, and one of them is a big-time recruit named Jacob Eberhart.

On Wednesday afternoon, Eberhart took to social media to announce that he has narrowed the scope of his recruitment. He is now down to just seven programs, keeping Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oregon, Alabama, Missouri, LSU, and Illinois alive for his commitment.

Eberhart would be a big commitment for any of these programs. He is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete from Kirkwood High School in Missouri. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 324 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 18 athlete in the country and the No. 4 player coming out of Missouri.

While Eberhart is listed as an “athlete” he is projected to enter the college ranks as a safety. This would be great for the Illini, as we are going to need some defensive back help in the near future. So far, Illinois is the only program Eberhart has taken an official visit to, but more are sure to come down the road.

Illinois has recruiting chip that the other six programs don’t have in the pursuit of Jacob Eberhart

When you first look at the seven programs vying for Eberhart’s commitment, one program stands out: Illinois.

When it comes to Name, Imagine, and Likeness dollars, Illinois is going to have a hard time keeping up with the other six programs. Bret Bielema has mentioned it in a recent interview. While Illinois runs at a certain budget, other teams have three, four, or five times the budget. That is tough to compete with.

One bargaining chip Illinois does have is family. No, I don’t mean the slogan we have been hoisting since Bielema took over. I mean literal family.

Eberhart’s father, Jason Eberhart, played for Illinois from 1997 through 2000. He was a starting defensive end for the program and helped build the foundation to what was a great 2001 squad that went to the Sugar Bowl.

Now the son of the former Illini starter has a chance to not follow in his father’s footsteps, but to leap over them and create a bigger and better legacy with the Orange and Blue. Jacob could come into the Illinois program and start at safety and lead Illinois into the College Football Playoff for years to come. A commitment from Eberhart would shock the world and help Illinois cement itself in the top 10 for the class of 2026.

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