Illinois Football Offers Class of 2027 Offensive Tackle Brayden Harris

Only nine days remain until Illinois football kicks off its 2025 season against Western Illinois at Champaign's Memorial Stadium, but the Illini can't afford to stop and admire all their offseason work – whether on or off the field – now. The recruiting grind never stops.

We were reminded of that again Wednesday night when Brayden Harris, a class of 2027 offensive tackle from Jackson, Missouri, announced on his X social media account that he had received a scholarship offer from Illinois via executive director of player personnel Nate McNeal.

After a great phone call with @NateMcNeal32 I am blessed to say I have received an offer from the Universty of Illinois!!! pic.twitter.com/rd4qy1yErj
— Brayden Harris (@BraydenHarris77) August 20, 2025

Brayden Harris scouting report

Harris is currently a 6-foot-7, 285-pounder, according to his X profile, but if you've ever had to feed an athletic teenage boy, you know that figure could be outdated by the end of the week. That would be just fine by Illini coach Bret Bielema and his staff, who would undoubtedly love to get a crack at developing a talented player of Harris' build.

Seven offers have come in for Harris so far, with Illinois trailing only Kansas among Power 4 schools on the timeline, according to 247Sports. (Washington State, Cincinnati, Arkansas State, Missouri State and Lindenwood are his other offers.)

Evaluating a player of Harris' physical gifts against high school competition in rural Missouri can be tricky, but a view of his highlights reveals an elite frame, good feet and a finisher's mentality. He doesn't get himself tied up in pass protection, moves well on pull blocks (a key when evaluating a blocker of his size) and is, somewhat understandably, a monster at the point of attack. His film below is a virtual full-length feature on the beauty of the pancake block.

Sophomore Year Highlights! 6’7 280lbs OT @JacksonHS_FB Check out this video! https://t.co/NOGdro2XzS
— Brayden Harris (@BraydenHarris77) December 17, 2024

What it means for Illinois

It's just an offer, and Harris still has two full seasons of high school football ahead of him, so it's early days yet. He's likely to receive plenty more scholarship offers – including from his home-state Missouri, and likely at least a handful of other SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten schools.

As always, it helps when the Illini get in early on a recruit. Time and again, prospects and current players mention the attention Bielema and his staff pay them during the recruiting process and their affinity for the family atmosphere at Illinois. The Illini will stay with Harris and surely urge him to make an official visit soon.

Given the current timeline, the Illini will likely have already completely rebooted their offensive line once, and then be ready for its next wave of contributors up front, by the time Harris graduates, fills out and is ready to face elite Division I college football competition. An eventual commitment could be a big win for all involved.