After a huge commitment, Illinois strengthens class of 2026

Coming into Wednesday, the Illinois football program had a top 15 class of 2026.

That number was going to hopefully continue to grow as time went on. There are plenty of talented players left for the Illini to snag, but we needed to close the deal.

On Wednesday, that deal was closed on a big-time defensive lineman. King Liggins took to social media to announce that he was choosing Illinois over Wisconsin. This was a big recruiting win for Bret Bielema, as the Illini are rising in the recruiting rankings.

Liggins is a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive lineman from Brother Rice High School in Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 910 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 92 defensive lineman in the country and the No. 21 player coming out of Illinois.

With the commitment from Liggins, Illinois did move up a spot in the 247Sports national recruiting rankings. We were the No. 11 team in the country, and now Illinois sits with the No. 10 class for 2026.

Landing defensive line talent in the class of 2026 was a must for Illinois

I love the addition of Liggins to the Illinois class of 2026. He has the build of someone like Jer’Zhan Newton, and Liggins has an impressive first move. He is so quick off the line of scrimmage. His first move through the guard enables him to get to the ball carrier with great ease.

Speaking of Newton, since he departed the program, the Illinois defensive line has been somewhat of a patchwork group. We need more talent up front, and Liggins provides that.

Illinois already had three edge players committed for 2026, but we needed more defensive line talent. Liggins is the first defensive line player Bielema has landed in this group. That is a bit of a shock.

Liggins is a good recruiting win for the Illini. He helps with depth at a position that is crucial in the college game. Let’s see who else we can land in the coming days.