The Illinois football team has done an impressive job bolstering the class of 2026 with some solid talent.
It is early in the proceedings, but the Illini already have five commitments for 2026. We also have a national recruiting ranking on On3.com of No. 25 in the country.
The talent that Bret Bielema has pulled in is huge for Illinois as well. We have upgraded our recruiting ability, and it is showing with some big-time additions. The most recent commitment to the program was from Kenyon Alston earlier this week. He is a three-star wide receiver who is a top 600 recruit.
Illinois could be on the verge of adding another big-time playmaker to the class of 2026 as well. On Friday, Steve Wiltfong of On3.com submitted a prediction. He has Illinois as the favorite to land Nasir Rankin with a confidence of 97.3%.
On3's @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for Illinois to land 4-star athlete Nasir Rankin‼️https://t.co/CaF72xWxDm pic.twitter.com/FZfPtk1kH6
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) January 24, 2025
This would be a massive get for the Illini. Rankin is a 5-foot-11.4, 167-pound athlete from Morgan Park High School in Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 221 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 14 athlete in the country and the No. 7 player coming out of Illinois.
If the Illini did land Rankin, we would beat out a myriad of other programs vying for his commitment. Some of the bigger teams include Nebraska, USC, and Kansas, to name a few.
Illinois football could use Nasir Rankin on both sides of the ball if he joined our class of 2026
Rankin doesn’t have a specific position designation, as he is a true athlete. He can play wide receiver or defensive back, and that should excite Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff.
Do you know that the kid who is just good at everything? The kid is just a natural at sports. That is Rankin. He is someone who just gets football. I firmly believe he could play any position on the field and succeed.
Rankin’s speed is phenomenal. He is a big-time weapon offensively in different situations. He can be the burner wide receiver or someone who comes around on a jet sweep.
Defensively, I love Rankin’s vision for the football and his hands. With Rankin also playing wide receiver, he has developed his catching ability, and that helps him on the defensive side of the ball.
I love the potential Rankin would have in the Illinois offense. He could be our Travis Hunter. Rankin has all of the ability in the world, and he would be a game-changer for the Illini.