Illinois is still very much in the hunt for one of the top names in the 2027 class.
On Monday, AJ Williams trimmed his list to 10 schools, and Illinois made the cut. The other heavyweight programs still in the mix include Duke, Arkansas and Kentucky.
Williams, a 6-foot-7 senior at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy in Georgia, is now ranked as the nation’s No. 5 recruit in 2027. That rise came after he initially surfaced as a 2028 prospect, then moved up after starring for Team CP3 on the 17U circuit. In EYBL play, he put up 20.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Illinois offered Williams in late July after his strong Nike EYBL showing, when he was still viewed as the No. 1 player in the 2028 class.
If he ended up in Champaign, Williams would fit neatly into Illinois’ five-out style and give Brad Underwood another versatile wing option. The Illini already have a few moving parts on the wing, and that picture only gets busier when you factor in possible returnees and incoming freshmen.
Jake Davis and Andrej Stojakovic could technically come back under the new 5-in-5 eligibility rule, though the expectation is that Stojakovic would head to the NBA and Davis would return in a reserve role. Freshmen Lucas Morillo, Zavier Zens and Lincoln Williams are also in the mix, with one of them projected to claim a back-end rotation spot and grow into a starter or sixth man by 2027-28. Illinois also already has two 2027 wing commits lined up in Quinton Kitt and Mason Martin.
Even with that crowd, AJ Williams would still have a path to major minutes because of how he plays. He’s a scorer who can hurt defenses at all three levels, though Illinois would likely push the midrange part of his game out of the picture.
From outside, he profiles as a catch-and-shoot threat, with a smooth, compact release. In EYBL play, he hit 1.7 threes per game at 32.5 percent, and he shot 80.6 percent at the line.
He’s also dangerous when he gets downhill. Williams uses long strides, a sturdy 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame and a strong handle to attack the rim, especially in straight lines and in transition. He averaged 7.8 free-throw attempts per game in EYBL action, the kind of number that fits well with Underwood’s analytics-driven approach.
There’s more to his game than scoring, too. Williams averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds per game and projects as a solid defender with the physical tools to become a real asset on that end early.
The one wrinkle is that he does not look like a combo guard. Williams is listed as a small forward and, while he can handle the ball, he doesn’t bring much in the way of playmaking, averaging just 1.4 assists per game.
Illinois has found ways to use bigger wings in initiation roles before, but Williams looks more like a pure scorer. That means the Illini still need to land a true guard in the 2027 class - or go to the portal next offseason.
In Other News...
Illinois Already Has Two Problems It Must Fix Fast
Illinois went into its non-conference meeting with Duke hoping to keep building momentum and reach the kind of 3-0 start it wanted before the Ohio State game loomed on the schedule, but instead it came away with a loss that exposed a couple of early concerns. The Illini had trouble with tackling and never found enough consistency on offense, particularly after halftime, when the scoring dipped and the game slipped away.
Bret Bielema now has a short window to sort through what went wrong before Illinois turns to Southern Illinois. The issues are not subtle, and the staff will be looking for answers quickly, because the next stretch will ask whether this was a one-game stumble or the start of problems that need immediate fixing. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Making An Early Push For A Frontcourt Priority
Illinois has already built a strong early footprint in its 2027 recruiting class with a pair of committed shooting guards, but the staff is clearly working to balance that out with size. The latest sign comes from Darius Wabbington, the five-star center from the 2027 class, whose recruitment is starting to pick up across the country as his official visits take shape.
Wabbington, a 6-foot-11 frontcourt priority ranked No. 12 nationally, has moved his trip to Champaign up from Oct. 23 to Sept. 18. That places Illinois in an important early window as he also lines up visits to Indiana, Arizona, North Carolina and Texas, giving the Illini a chance to make their case before the rest of the schedule unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Offensive Line Suddenly Faces A Serious Test At Worst Time
Illinois is heading into its Sept. 26 meeting with Ohio State knowing the spotlight will be bright long before the game gets into the late-afternoon grind. FOX has slotted the matchup for Big Noon Kickoff with an 11 a.m. CT start, which means the Illini will be under national attention from the opening snap when the Buckeyes arrive in Champaign.
The challenge got steeper with Bret Bielema confirming that senior offensive lineman TJ McMillen is out for the season with a foot fracture. Losing an experienced blocker in the middle of a marquee stretch is never ideal, especially with Ohio State looming, but it is the kind of setback that forces depth into the conversation fast. Elsewhere in the Illinois orbit, the program is also in the mix with five-star basketball prospect AJ Williams, who has reclassified to the Class of 2027 and listed Illinois among his top 10 schools. [Read more 🡒]