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Illinois football squarely in the mix for 4-star recruit as decision looms

Another big-time recruit is set to make a decision, and Illinois football is squarely in the mix.
ByRees Woodcock|
Sep 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema on the sidelines during the second half against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema on the sidelines during the second half against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois football is looking to shock the world again with a massive commitment from an elite recruit.

What Bret Bielema has done thus far with the class of 2026 is nothing short of incredible. The Illini sit with 19 commitments and a national recruiting ranking of No. 13 in the country.

Most of the top of the class, like cornerback Almirian Thomas and linebacker Cam Thomas, are on the defensive side of the ball. Illinois is trying to add more defensive talent with another big-time commitment.

On Monday afternoon, Nick Hankins Jr. took to social media to announce that he is down to just five teams. The five programs Hankins will choose from are Missouri, Ole Miss, Iowa, Tennessee, and Illinois.

Not only will Hankins decide between those five teams, but he also has a commitment date and time in mind. He will pick his landing spot on Thursday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m. CT at his high school, Belleville West.

The decision for Nick Hankins Jr. might be down to just a couple of teams

Hankins would be a big get for any of the five programs. He is a 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback who is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 352 player in the class of 2026. Hankins is also the No. 28 cornerback in the country and the No. 10 player coming out of Illinois.

The programs Hankins still has on his list are impressive, but I am not sure if the full five teams are actually in the running. According to every recruiting site, Hankins hasn’t even visited Tennessee and Ole Miss. He has only been on one unofficial visit to Iowa.

My guess is, Hankins will probably end up choosing between Illinois and Missouri. He has taken three unofficial visits to each program and had an official visit with the two teams at the end of May and beginning of June.

Could you imagine the class Illinois would be scheduled to land with the addition of Hankins? That would have us nearing the top 10, and we would have three four-star recruits. We would also have 16 top 1000 recruits. That is something no other coach has done since Ron Zook. This would be a big one, folks.

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