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Illinois football slips in a key specialist to the class of 2027

Commitments aren't always flashing, but this pledge to the Illinois football program will go a long way in helping the team down the road.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini logo on a helmet during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini logo on a helmet during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

While all of the commotion about who the Illinois football team will snag next is going on, we sneak in and get a local specialist.

The Illini have the No. 60 recruiting class in the country for 2027. That isn’t where we will finish, as there is still plenty of time, but on Sunday, we were able to pull in another commitment.

Ulysses Morales took to social media to announce that he has committed to Illinois.

Morales is a 6-foot, 170-pound kicker from Oak Forest High School in Illinois. He isn’t rated or ranked because most specialists aren’t, but he is one of the best kickers in the country.

According to Chris Sailer Kicking, which is one of the premier kicking camps in the nation, Morales is the No. 7 kicker in the country. It also shows how good this kid is by the fact that Illinois gave him a full scholarship.

This is a perfect time to land a big-time kicker. Illinois is entering 2026 with, likely, Ethan Moczulski starting at kicker. He returns after transferring out for a season. Waiting in the wings is Lucas Osada, who was a transfer from North Carolina.

By the time Morales rolls in, Moczulski will be gone, and Osada will be a junior. That would give Morales a year to redshirt, and then by his sophomore season, he will be Illinois’ starting kicker.

Ulysses Morales could be in line to be the next great Illinois football kicker in the NFL

There are a few things the Illinois football team is known for, and having a great kicker is one of them. We have literally had kickers poached from us in the transfer portal era, and the program has had plenty of NFL-caliber kickers.

The latest NFL kicker is Chase McLaughlin. He is still kicking in the NFL, going on his eighth season, and having made some clutch kicks throughout his career.

Before McLaughlin, there was Neil Rackers. He had a 12-year NFL career with a couple of teams. He was one of the best kickers in the world for a while.

Illinois has a chance to get more kickers to the next level. Morales has a chance to be the next great Illini kicker, and I can’t wait to see what he can do for the Orange and Blue.

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