Offensive Line Target Mason Halliman Includes Illinois Among Top Five Finalists

Halliman, a three-star lineman playing for an in-state powerhouse, still has the Illini on his mind as a college destination

Aug 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema before a game with the Western Illinois Leathernecks at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Junior three-star offensive tackle Mason Halliman out of Lincoln-Way East (New Lenox, Illinois) announced his top five schools in no particular order on Thursday, and the Illini were one of the finalists. The other four are Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Auburn.

Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East OT Mason Halliman names a top five.

Notes on each program here. (VIP) https://t.co/9FJ11H3iHD pic.twitter.com/yCAx0qk78o

— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) September 25, 2025

Who is Mason Halliman?

Halliman is the 16th-ranked player from Illinois and 44th-ranked player at his position, per 247Sports. Despite Illinois being his home-state school, Halliman is far from a lock to end up in Champaign. Although he has visited Iowa three times in the past seven months and last week was on hand in Lincoln when Nebraska hosted Michigan, according to On3.com, Halliman has yet to make a trip to Champaign.

But Illinois may have a small advantage that it could lean into: Halliman wouldn't be the first player from his high school to call Champaign his college home. Current Washington Commanders offensive lineman Nick Allegretti, who won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, attended both Lincoln-Way East and Illinois before reaching the NFL.

Could Allegretti play a role in Halliman's college choice? It's hard to say whether Halliman is aware of it, whether it matters to him or if he's drawn to a path that my feel favorably familiar. Might Illini head coach Bret Bielema call on Allegretti to pay a visit to his high school alma mater or just put in a good word to persuade Halliman to consider staying home and attending Illinois? It's not a bad play.

How Halliman can help at Illinois

It never hurts a college program to keep the pipeline from a particular position at a particular high school flowing, but foerget Allegretti's involvement for a moment. First and foremost, Halliman is a solid football player. Secondly, Illinois should be ready for a new wave of contributors on the offensive line by the time Halliman develops physically as an upperclassman. And, not to be forgotten, landing Halliman would likely prevent him from joining a conference rival.

But despite Halliman announcing his top five schools on Thursday, don't be surprised if it takes longer than the typical amount of time for him to make his college choice. Halliman's high school season might extend longer than that of most college recruits, as Lincoln-Way East is one of the top programs in the state of Illinois year in and year out. The Griffins are currently a perfect 4-0 and have outscored their competition, 186-21.