Bret Bielema has turned the Illinois football program around. A complete 180. The Fighting Illini are once again a respected (and highly-ranked) football program.
That includes dominance on the recruiting trail. For the first time in a long, long time, Bielema secured a top-25 recruiting class for the program, including 24 blue-chip prospects from the class of 2026.
This week, Rivals released its latest ranking of the top 300 players in the upcoming class, and one future Illinois player received the respect that he has deserved for quite a while. Four-star cornerback Nick Hankins flew up the rankings, rising from the No. 214 athlete to No. 76 in the class.
He was already a four-star prospect, but with the rise in ranking, he became the first Illinois commit in the cycle to earn a spot in the top 100.
Biggest risers in the updated 2026 Rivals300 rankings📈
— Rivals (@Rivals) September 15, 2025
Read: https://t.co/jCrTLEVHej pic.twitter.com/Cm3FktFTlz
This win for Hankins came after the Fighting Illini's first shutout win of the year, a dominant 38-0 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos, which bumped Illinois to 3-0 on the season as the team headed into Big Ten play.
Defensive coordinator Henry Allen and defensive backs coach Corey Parker were a big reason for Hankins committing to Illinois over programs like Missouri, Tennessee, and more.
Allen's defense, which has undeniably helped secure all three wins, has allowed a minimal 22 points over the first three games of the year and has earned 10 sacks for 41 yards. Parker's defensive secondary has already knocked down seven pass deflections and snagged an interception.
While Illinois' defense has been absolutely dominant, it doesn't mean the Fighting Illini are just a classic Big Ten team right now. Yes, the defense has been phenomenal, but the offense has been playing lights out as well.
In Week 1, quarterback Luke Altmyer helped his offense put up 52 points on Western Illinois. One week later, the Fighting Illini scored 45 points on the Duke Blue Devils.
This week, No. 9 Illinois kicks off its conference schedule with a top-25 matchup against the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers. The two are scheduled to play at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on NBC.