Illinois football has a great class of 2026 as of right now, and it could be improving in the near future.
Over the past month or so, Bret Bielema has helped build the Illini recruiting class into one of the best in the country. For 2026, we have the No. 6 class in the nation, and that number will hopefully stay in the top 10 over the next year.
Landing a player like Titan Davis would help bolster the Illinois class of 2026. This past Friday, Davis took to social media to announce he has cut his top list down to 14 teams. The 14 programs to make his top list include Missouri, Oregon, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Auburn, Nebraska, Kansas State, Texas A&M, USC, and Illinois.
Top 14 time to find 🏠…@CoachPoe1914 @JHMerrittJr @DeSmetFB @AllenTrieu @ChadSimmons_ @GregSmithRivals pic.twitter.com/lDpfJZZTCq
— Titan Davis (@TitanDavis97) February 22, 2025
Adding a player like Davis wouldn’t just be big for the Illini. He is someone every program is after. Davis is a 6-foot-5, 238-pound EDGE from DeSmet High School in Missouri. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 96 player in the class of 2026. Davis is also the No. 9 defensive lineman in the country and the No. 2 player coming out of Missouri.
Bret Bielema has landed the Illinois football team a nice haul of defensive talent for 2026
Davis brings a lot to the field defensively. It looks like he played a lot of down lineman at the high school level, but he is quick and has the right size to be an EDGE at the next level. Illinois has done a great job molding high school defensive linemen into great outside rushers.
The haul that Bielema has already added on the defensive side of the ball for 2026 is quite impressive. Our top commitment is Victor Singleton, who is a top-100 recruit and will play cornerback for the Illini.
If Davis picked Illinois, he would be joined by Jacob Alexander and Kingston Shaw as EDGE players. Those three would form an incredible trio of defensive talent. All three would be top 750 recruits too.
Cam Thomas and Kaedyn Cobbs are also coming into the Illinois program as linebackers. Both players are top 600 recruits and will stabilize the middle of the Illini defense.
Those five commits make up five out of the top seven players currently pledged to Illinois for 2026. Davis would be one of the top two players in the class, and he would give Illinois, most likely, a top-five recruiting class. This kid would be a huge addition.