Illinois' First 2026 Recruiting Domino Officially Falls: Landon Davis Signs

The Illini have received three commitments in the 2026 recruiting, but Davis became the first to sign on the dotted line Wednesday

Waukee Northwest's Landon Davis (30) shoots a free throw on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Never before has there been so many prefixes added to the word commitment than in the present-day era of college athletics. The words decommitment and recommitment have become especially prevalent in college hoops, with numerous players pledging their talents to a program, backing out and then ultimately landing at a different school – or even sometimes recommitting to their original destination.

That made Wednesday's recruiting development for Illinois basketball a pleasantly drama-free experience.

Landon Davis signs with Illinois

Waukee Northwest's Landon Davis (30) looks to shoot on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the first day of the early-signing period – and the day after No. 14 Illinois upended No. 11 Texas Tech in Champaign – class of 2026 forward Landon Davis stuck to his guns and made his previous commitment official by signing with the Illini.

A new Illini has been added to the famILLy. pic.twitter.com/aePTae8ckN

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 12, 2025

Wing Lucas Morillo and guard Ethan Brown are fellow 2026 recruits who have committed to Illinois, but Davis is the lone signee among them for now.

Who is Landon Davis?

Waukee Northwest's Landon Davis (30) slams the ball through the basket on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A Waukee, Iowa, native, Davis is a native of Iowa’s most fertile hoops landscape. Indiana’s Tucker DeVries is from Waukee, as is former Iowa star Payton Sandfort and his younger brother Pryce, a former Hawkeye who now attends Nebraska. 

Davis is tabbed as the nation's No. 228 player, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and is labeled as the fifth-best player in the state of Iowa. Last season, as a junior at Waukee Northwest High School, he averaged 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while tacking on 2.6 blocks on the other end. His club went 23-4, earning a trip to the Class 4A title game.

For his AAU ball, Davis played for Iowa United on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. Although his numbers weren’t jaw-dropping – he put up 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists, along with 1.0 blocks – his efficiency of 61.0 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep certainly stood out. 

Click here for a deeper dive on Davis’ game and future fit with the Illini

What Brad Underwood sees in Landon Davis

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood fist bumps fans Friday, March 14, 2025, in a quarterfinals game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Davis isn't an international player and doesn't profile on paper as a top-shelf high school talent, which might seem to make him an odd choice for an Illinois program that continues to rise and is now routinely in the mix for top-50 prospects. But Keaton Wagler and Brandon Lee are just the latest examples of Underwood recruits who overplay their rankings and become productive contributors in Champaign. Who's to say Davis isn't next in line?

“Landon is a physical player with tremendous athleticism and mobility who can play both inside and out," Underwood said. "He brings great positional versatility in the frontcourt. Landon has been well-coached, is an elite passer and processor, and overall is just a terrific young man with a bright future as he continues to develop."