Illinois Basketball to Host Five-Star 2028 Recruit Dylan Betts for Unofficial Visit

Recruiting has always been one of Brad Underwood’s strengths. Ever since he came to Illinois, he has been able to build stacked recruiting classes – be it from the high school ranks or, more recently, the transfer portal.

But now, with a Final Four to his name and two Elite Eight appearances in the past three seasons, Underwood’s recruiting may have been elevated to another stratosphere.

In the past week and change, it has been reported that Illinois has set an official visit with five-star 2028 guard NaVorro Bowman Jr. and is in the process of setting a visit with four-star 2027 forward Isaiah Santos. And according to a Friday morning report from 247Sports’ Travis Branham, the Illini will also host five-star big man Dylan Betts, whom they offered back in mid-June, for an unofficial visit.

Top-15 2028 prospect Dylan Betts to visit Illinois

Dylan Betts, the No. 11 overall recruit in the 2028 class, has scheduled the following unofficial visits, a source tells @247Sports:

Sept. 11-13: Michigan
Sept. 18-20: Illinois
Sept. 25-27: North Carolina
Oct. 9-12: Alabamahttps://t.co/OzDaMV7Qyk pic.twitter.com/IOQrSC0T8t
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) July 24, 2026

Per the report, Betts will visit the Illini between Sept. 18-20. He also has unofficial visits set to Michigan, North Carolina and Alabama. Betts, an attendee of prep powerhouse IMG Academy, currently holds at least 14 Division I offers. He stands at 7-foot-3, 230 pounds.

Competing with Legynds on the Nike EYBL Circuit for this past AAU season, Betts averaged 12.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting from the field. He added 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and tacked on 2.6 blocks on the other end.

7'3 16-year-old Dylan Betts is a problem!
247Sports has him ranked #10 in the 2028 class 👀 @DylanBetts51 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/8Q1BEYrCBb
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) May 25, 2026

Betts has soft touch, is a heady player and, at 7-foot-3 with a seemingly plus wingspan, has exceptional physical traits. But although he is already able to provide immense value to his squad, Betts hasn’t yet scratched the surface of his potential.

With two years of high school left, he has ample time to develop in every facet of the game. But even now, one can safely project Betts to be a relatively high-floor prospect, given his ability to create an impact as a play finisher, rebounder and rim protector.

That said, Betts can be an absolute game changer if his shot comes around. The good news: He has textbook form on his jumper and appears to shoot with confidence on the rare occasion he decides to put one up. (The importance of a developing shooter’s confidence is often undermined, but it can be a telltale sign of shooting potential.)

The future is scary when you’re 7’3” and only a sophomore 😮‍💨🔥 5⭐️ Dylan Betts pulled up to NBPA Top 100 Camp and showed out 🚨@DylanBetts51 @Top100Camp @TheNBPA pic.twitter.com/Ho4a9BRPdp
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) June 15, 2026

The bad news: There is lots of work to do. In 18 games of EYBL play, Betts attempted just two threes, and he missed both. More concerningly, he shot only 52.3 percent from the free-throw line on 4.8 attempts per game.

Still, it’s impossible to expect a player with Betts’ size to be a marksman at his age. (Remember, he hasn’t even started his junior year of high school.) But with those aforementioned smooth mechanics, he certainly has the ability to develop into a capable shooter.

And if he does, Betts may be a bona fide two-way star, even as a freshman. And guess which program just so happens to develop – and best utilize – some of the nation’s premier stretch bigs? Hint: it’s some school in Central Illinois.

Add us as a preferred source on Google