Recruiting

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Illini appear to be firmly in the mix for 2028 prospect Dylan Betts, a 7-foot-3 big man with incredible upside

Basketball

The Illini appear to be firmly in the mix for 2028 prospect Dylan Betts, a 7-foot-3 big man with incredible upside

Recent Articles

Nov 11, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood walks to the court before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini appear to be in the thick of the race for Bowman, a high-scoring guard from California

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini threw their hat in the ring for top-ranked 2028 recruit Williams, an ultra-dynamic player on both ends of the floor

Jan 17, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood before the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini are setting up a visit with a four-star forward in the 2027 class, while a key 2028 in-state target was named the first EYBL 16U MVP ever

Feb 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini extended an offer to Benjmain Berrouet, a versatile, high-upside forward from the class of 2028

Football

Bret Bielema landed his 16th player for the 2027 recruiting class after three-star cornerback Trezavant Boyd (Miami Central) committed to Illinois on Wednesday.

Nov 14, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood greets the crowd before the tip of the game with the Colgate Raiders at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini are the first high-major program to offer Stasys, an in-state recruit with a unique skill set

Illinois coach Bret Bielema celebrates after the Illini's 30-28 win over No. 23 Tennessee in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Football

Flemister, a three-star defensive back from Detroit, further bolstered coach Bret Bielema's 2027 recruiting class by committing to the Illini

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini continue to make Pettigrew, an in-state 2028 target, one of their top priorities – and for good reason

Apr 2, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois head coach Brad Underwood during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini extended the first high-major offer to Connor, whose ongoing development could push him to far outplay his unranked status

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood speaks during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Basketball

Certain 2027 recruits have separated themselves from the others as the best the Illini should pursue

Sep 20, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema walks onto the field prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Football

Illinois landed the first safety of its 2027 class after three-star safety Tyrone Howard Jr. committed to the Illini on Tuesday.

Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema greets fans before an NCAA game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Football

Morales, who committed to Illinois on Sunday, could enter a wide-open race to be the Illini's placekicker of the future

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

Football

Konkey, a speedy class of 2027 receiver from in-state Geneva, committed to the Illini on Tuesday

Football

James, an inside linebacker from La Marque (Texas), didn't waste any time after his visit to Champaign to sign with the Illini

Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood walks down the court during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini are one of the early contenders for Betts – a huge, fluid big man who should make an instant impact wherever he lands

Football

Paulsen, from Central Dewitt (Iowa), chose the Illini over a handful of other suitors, including four Big Ten rivals

Dec 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood before the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

Santos isn’t the typical Illini target, but Brad Underwood must have liked what he saw from the athletic, high-motor wing

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

Football

Shack became the eighth member of the Illinois 2027 recruiting class when he committed to the Illini on Tuesday

Football

Ericson-Staton flipped his commitment from Iowa State to Illinois on Sunday, bolstering the Illini's blocking talent

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Basketball

We offer a superlative for each of the Illini's six incoming freshmen for 2026-27 – including recent commit Williams

Oct 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema watches warm ups before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Football

The Illini landed their first tight end in the 2027 recruiting class when they signed Cade Newman on Saturday

Feb 27, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood greets the crowd before the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini made a late addition to their 2026-27 roster in Lincoln Williams, a long and bouncy guard from Kankakee

Football

The Illini signed their seventh junior college transfer on Monday, landing defensive lineman Deon Williams

Jan 2, 2026; Mesa, AZ, USA; Arizona Compass Prep forward DeMarcus Henry (15) against Spire Institute (OH) during the HoopHall West Tournament at Skyline High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini recently joined the race for Henry, who is the latest top recruit being targeted by Brad Underwood and his staff