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Illinois Offers Another Top JUCO Recruit in Archie Chambers: What it Means

Bret Bielema and his staff extended another offer to a top junior college recruit, this time to linebacker Archie Chambers
Jared Shlensky|
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is shown after their game Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Illinois beat Wisconsin 34-10. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is shown after their game Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Illinois beat Wisconsin 34-10. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL | Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema has landed on a somewhat novel approach, and he isn't altering from it: pursue the top junior college recruits as hard as (or harder than) any other football program in the nation. The efforts have paid off – and continue to deliver.

The Illini – who have already signed offensive tackle TJ Taylor (the No. 9 overall player in the 2026 JUCO class) and offensive tackle Alfred Washington (No. 27) – earlier this week offered another talented player from the JUCO ranks in linebacker Archie Chambers.

Archie Chambers scouting report

Chambers is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound redshirt sophomore linebacker at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi. He began his college career at Alabama State. His powerful hitting and ability to consistently make tackles in the open field immediately stand out on tape, and should translate well to his next stop.

Chambers, who would be a tad undersized at linebacker against Big Ten or SEC competition, could potentially even wind up at safety next year. But based on his tackling ability and knack for getting off blocks, he is probably best suited to his current position. In any case, his profile makes him a candidate to play right away next season, regardless of his ultimate destination or alignment on the field.

Archie Chambers background

Chambers was named first-team All-Conference after racking up 68 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and a forced fumble in 10 games for the Wolves this 2025 season. He is ranked as ESPN's No. 6 junior college player in the nation and the top JUCO linebacker in the country.

Illinois' recruiting competition

A lot of teams are in on Chambers' services, but Mississippi State is most likely Illinois' biggest threat. Not only is MSU in the state where Chambers currently attends college, but Chambers visited Starkville on Friday on a visit, so the Bulldogs would seem to be the current frontrunner to win his signature.

But don't count Illinois out just yet. Bielema has had a lot of recent recruiting success in the JUCO talent pool, and that doesn't go unnoticed by potential future recruits. Illinois needs to get Chambers on campus for a visit to have a legit shot, but that should happen. The Bulldogs and Arizona State are Chambers' other best offers so far, and Bielema and the Illinois campus experience tend to be quite convincing during recruiting visits.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster.

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