Illinois flips 4-star IOL Micah Smith from UCLA

Fort Pierce (Fla.) Vero Beach four-star interior offensive lineman Micah Smith has flipped his commitment from UCLA to Illinois.

Pledged to the Bruins since June 7, Smith previously considered the Illini this summer and is now locking in with Bret Bielema and Co. at the end of his process. Tennessee and Ohio State were among those that also gauged flipping the 6-foot-5.5, 320-pounder this fall.

Smith is the No. 274 overall prospect and No. 21 IOL in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 39 recruit in the Sunshine State.

The blue-chipper chose DeShaun Foster and Co. in the summer and was one of the few top recruits that didn’t decommit once Foster was fired early on this season. He continued to weigh other options, though, and Illinois remained persistent.

He now checks in near the top of an Illini class that sneakily ranks inside the top 25 of the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Illinois now has seven O-line commits in its class. Smith headlines that group alongside JUCO four-star OT TJ Taylor and four-star IOL Kai Pritchard.

Other top commits in the mix for Illinois include: four-star cornerback Nick Hankins Jr., JUCO four-star CB Jakwon Morris, four-star wide receiver Nasir Rankin, Rivals four-star safety Jacob Eberhart and three-star linebacker Cam Thomas.

The updated Illinois class, which is now up to 30 total commits and also ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten, can be seen here.