Illinois’ 2026 recruiting class kept growing until it became something much bigger than anyone probably expected.
What started during the middle of the Illini’s NCAA Tournament run last March as a group led by Lucas Morillo, Ethan Brown and Landon Davis looked, for a while, like a class that might stay compact. Brad Underwood even said at the time that three was a solid number, which made it feel as though Illinois had wrapped up its work and shifted focus to 2027 and beyond.
That didn’t last.
Quentin Coleman then announced he was Champaign-bound, and that was hard to argue with given his five-star status. Zavier Zens followed, bringing the kind of college-ready, high-IQ profile that fit Illinois cleanly. Then, in early June, the Illini added the No. 1 in-state prospect, Lincoln Williams, as a late piece.
Now the class is complete, and with transfer Quentin McCoy also recently joining the roster, Illinois won’t have any more immediate movement. What was once projected to be a smaller group has turned into the largest freshman class Underwood has had since 2018.
And the number alone isn’t what stands out. The real story is the balance of depth and upside.
That puts this class in a conversation with some strong Underwood hauls, though not every group makes the cut. A few are easy to eliminate.
Others had star power but little depth, like Kofi Cockburn’s 2019 class. Some loaded groups ended up making their impact elsewhere, including the 2022 class of Ty Rodgers, Skyy Clark, Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris, none of whom finished their careers at Illinois.
The 2021 class followed a similar path.
From there, the list narrows. The 2018 class brought Ayo Dosunmu, Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Alan Griffin, with Andres Feliz coming in as a JUCO addition, and it still comes up a little short. The 2020 group had plenty of talent with Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo and Coleman Hawkins, but Hawkins was the only one who truly lasted and starred for the Illini.
That leaves the more recent classes, and those are tough to top. The 2024 group of Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, Morez Johnson Jr. and Tomislav Ivisic is a high-end collection, even with Johnson now at Michigan. The 2025 class has serious punch too, with Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic giving it major firepower, though not the same depth.
So 2026 comes back into focus. Coleman gives the class real headliner appeal, and history suggests Illinois may not be done finding another player who rises into that same tier, even if it doesn’t happen right away.
Just as important, the depth is obvious. Underwood has made it clear all offseason that he likes what he has in this freshman group, and the clearest sign is that all six players seem to be competing for rotation minutes on a team that returns five key pieces from a Final Four run.
“I say this in a positive way,” Underwood told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein in late August. “We haven’t lost any of them yet.
Usually in the summer, you feel like, well, there’s a couple guys that maybe can’t help you right away. I don’t feel that.”
That doesn’t mean every player in the class is going to become a major factor in 2026-27. But the fact that all of them are at least in the conversation says plenty. For Underwood, it’s another reminder that he knows how to identify talent - and this freshman group may end up being his best blend of size, skill and depth yet.
In Other News...
Illinois Has No Room For Another Flat Performance This Week
Illinois heads into its final non-conference game at Gies Memorial Stadium still feeling the sting of a home loss to Duke, a result that knocked the Illini out of the Top 25 and served as an unwelcome early reminder that there is little margin for error in the 2026 season. The matchup with Southern Illinois offers a chance to steady things before the schedule gets tougher, and it puts the focus back on a group led by quarterback Katin Houser and receiver Collin Dixon.
Southern Illinois will not arrive as a pushover, either, with quarterback DJ Williams and receiver Kyle Thomas giving the Salukis enough skill-position punch to test an Illinois defense and force the home team to show more urgency. For the Illini, the broader issue is not just beating an in-state opponent, but avoiding another flat afternoon that would deepen the conversation around a start already dented by the Duke result. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Has A Real Shot In One Massive Recruiting Battle
Illinois basketball is getting a major chance to make an early impression this weekend, as five-star forward Bentley Lusakueno comes in for an official visit. The rising junior has quickly become one of the most coveted names in the Class of 2028, sitting near the top of the national rankings and already drawing attention from a long list of high-major programs. His move to IMG Academy for his junior year only adds to the buzz around a recruitment that has plenty of runway left but is already getting serious.
For Brad Underwood and his staff, the visit matters because the competition is already lining up. Lusakueno has been to Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and Iowa is on the schedule next, which gives Illinois a timely opening to show where it fits in a crowded pursuit. With 20 Division I offers in hand, the race is clearly just getting started, but the fact that Illinois gets him on campus now says plenty about how aggressively the Illini are trying to plant a flag. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Enters Week 3 With Three Worrying Questions Still Unanswered
Illinois has spent the first two weeks of the season trying to sort out a new identity, and the early returns have left plenty for the coaching staff to keep monitoring. A new defensive coordinator and a new starting quarterback in Katin Houser gave the offseason a sense of reset, but the on-field picture has been less tidy, with the rushing attack still looking for consistency and the tackling needing to tighten up. In the passing game, Collin Dixon has quickly become the obvious focal point, which at least gives Houser a reliable target while the rest of the offense searches for more balance.
Southern Illinois arrives next as a useful measuring stick before Big Ten play starts, the kind of game that can either calm some of the lingering concerns or sharpen them. Illinois needs to show clearer progress on both sides of the ball, especially in the areas that have already drawn attention, and this matchup offers one more chance to do it against a test that should reveal a little more about where the team really stands. [Read more 🡒]