Illinois Enters Race for Five-Star Prospect Christian Collins: What Are the Odds?

An offer is just an offer. Reciprocation is the hope, but it shouldn't be the expectation. That's the backdrop to Illinois coach Brad Underwood's latest pursuit on the recruiting trail, where on Wednesday he and the Illini offered a scholarship to coveted five-star forward Christian Collins – news announced by Collins himself on his X social media account:

Blessed and thankful to receive an offer from the University of Illinois!!! pic.twitter.com/dPn9GbdCvg
— Christian Collins (@_ChristianC11_) December 17, 2025

Christian Collins' background

Collins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound power forward in the class of 2026, attended St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey, California, as a freshman and sophomore. After playing on the junior varsity at St. Bernard as a sophomore, he transferred to St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) and has blossomed into a top-10 national recruit in the current recruiting cycle.

Collins, whose father DeAngelo played in the 2002 McDonald's All-American Game, plays his AAU basketball for Team WhyNot on the Nike EYBL circuit. He seemed bound for Kentucky, but numerous reports suggest that Collins backed out due to the Wildcats' NIL contract offer, and the top schools in the mix for his signature – Kentucky, USC and UCLA – are now also competing with Illinois and Vanderbilt (which offered Collins on the same day as the Illini).

5 ⭐️ Christian Collins dropped 30 Points 9 Rebounds and 3 Assists against La Mirada last night and led them to a 62-51 win 😤😤 @_ChristianC11_ pic.twitter.com/LZjFIV93N5
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 14, 2025

Christian Collins' scouting report

Collins isn't a typical Underwood recruit – and not just because he wasn't born in a European country bordering the Adriatic Sea. Collins is a long, super-springy athlete who has an excellent handle and dynamic dribble moves for his size, but he isn't a low-efficiency shooter for a premier high school recruit.

His shot is a little flat, but his mechanics are solid, and he has so many other tools that he will be given a long runway and a lot of resources to develop that side of his game wherever he goes. Collins is a strong finisher around the rim, a killer in transition, a dynamic distributor (especially for his size) and, when his motor is running at its peak, an excellent rebounder. His defense, like that of nearly all high school prospects, needs work. But he has the length, bounce and lateral agility to be an impact player on that end.

Is he a fit at Illinois? Collins is the kind of player for whom you make room and figure out the rest later. Underwood's five-out, bombs-away style may not be ideal in this case, but the Illini can certainly make accommodations – especially if Collins is able to boost his perimeter-shooting ability to just a respectable level. Imagine a 6-foot-8 Kylan Boswell knifing through the lane against Big Ten rivals, and that starts to give you a picture of the possibilities with Collins in orange and blue.

Illinois' competition for Christian Collins

The Illini don't have much of a history when it comes to attracting five-star prospects to Champaign, and on the surface, they don't seem likely to make headway in the recruitment of a player who seemed one step away from signing with a blueblood (Kentucky) and had excellent backup options in his own backyard (USC and UCLA).

But Illinois, as it turns out, has plenty to offer Collins. His mother, Angel Bell, told Kentucky Wildcats on SI over the summer what Collins was seeking in a college destination: "His major is going to be business, so we're going to want to look into a strong academic program. I would say strength and conditioning, making sure that his mental health is good, making sure that there's a good schedule for him to accomplish his goals, as well as put him in a position to win a championship."

Would a combination of Gies Business School, the Adam Fletcher School of Hard Reps and the chance to make a deep NCAA Tournament run be enough to win over Collins? Possibly. But UCLA and Vanderbilt also have excellent business schools, and it's uncertain how Illinois' NIL offering would measure up to those of the other programs involved in Collins' recruitment. A visit to Champaign would be a step in the right direction, but at the moment the Illini appear to be a dark horse rather than a true contender to land Collins.