Illinois basketball continues to lay groundwork for massive 2027 5-star recruit

Illinois basketball wants to continue the five-star trend, and building great relationships is a big part of the game.

The Illini are currently transitioning out of the class of 2024. That top 10 recruiting class has joined the program and is suiting up for the 2024-25 campaign.

Future recruiting classes have yet to get off the ground, though. There have been rumblings about the potential first pledge for the 2025 class, and the Illinois coaching staff is starting to lay the groundwork for the class of 2026 and 2027.

Back in July 2023, Illinois started its march to land a big-time recruit for the class of 2027. We offered Jaylan Mitchell a scholarship. This was a pretty big deal, as Mitchell was just a freshman, and Illinois was his second scholarship offer at the time.

That relationship has continued to grow over the past year. Illinois is still pursuing Mitchell, and according to NextUpRecruits on social media, Mitchell is set to take an unofficial visit to Champaign on September 12.

Keeping in communication with Jaylan Mitchell should continue to be a top priority for the Illinois basketball program

Mitchell isn’t just a solid recruit from a future recruiting class. As of right now, he is one of the best players from the 2027 class.

Mitchell is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward from Francis Joseph Reitz High School in Indiana. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 4 player in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 4 power forward in the country and the best player coming out of Indiana.

I believe Mitchell is a very unique player. He is big and strong, but he has the handles of a point guard. Mitchell can bring the ball up the court and drive through defenders to the basket. He can pull up from anywhere on the court as well. This kid is somewhat like a developed Coleman Hawkins.

It would be smart for Illinois to continue to pursue Mitchell with all available resources. This kid isn’t just going to be a high-level college athlete, but I think he has top-10 NBA Draft potential.