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Nebraska running back locks in Illinois official visit

The Illinois football program is looking to add talent, and now are one step closer to bringing on a quick running back.
ByRees Woodcock|
Oct 30, 2010; Champaign, IL, USA; A detailed view of the Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during the pre-game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2010; Champaign, IL, USA; A detailed view of the Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during the pre-game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images | Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images

Illinois football is still in the middle of securing what most hope will be a top 20 class of 2026.

So far, so good on that front. The Illini have a top 15 class right now, as the program sits at No. 11 in the country. That number will continue to improve, or at least stay about the same, throughout the next year or so.

Landing more talent is key. One player who is now on the radar for the Orange and Blue is Nelsyn Wheeler. On Saturday, Wheeler took to social media to announce that he has set an official visit date for Illinois. He will be visiting Champaign on the weekend of June 6.

Wheeler is a 5-foot-9, 200-pound running back from Millard South High School in Nebraska. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1244 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 83 running back in the country and the No. 12 player coming out of Nebraska.

Despite being a sub-1000 recruit, the recruiting attention is there for Wheeler. He has roughly 18 scholarship offers, with some of the bigger programs being Wisconsin, Kansas, and Michigan State, in addition to the Illinois offer.

Speed and strength blow me away when watching Illinois recruiting target Nelsyn Wheeler

There is obviously a ton of talent with Wheeler. He has a ton of recruiting attention, and it shocks me to see him ranked as low as he is nationally. And then when I watch Wheeler’s Hudl, wow, he is quick.

Wheeler has great speed off the line of scrimmage. It is like someone shoots him out of a cannon. He can blaze by defenders, and when he does have a man in front of him, the power and hips enable him to get through his man.

When I watch Wheeler play, he reminds me a lot of someone like Devin Singletary. A sub-1000 recruit coming out of high school, Singletary was a short, quick running back who could dominate on the field. He was once committed to Illinois before going to Florida Atlantic and then to the NFL.

Wheeler also has a little James White in him, too. White, the former New England Patriots star running back, spent three seasons playing under Bret Bielema at Wisconsin and is now Illinois’ assistant running backs coach. Makes you wonder if there is a connection there.

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