Where the top 2026 Illinois recruits signed this cycle

When it comes to high school football talent in the Midwest, Illinois always packs a punch. That’s the case when looking at the 2026 cycle.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies, there are 11 blue-chip prospects from Illinois. They are all headed to notable Power Four programs, too.

Below is a look at the top Illinois recruits in the 2026 cycle and where they’re headed to play their college football next season:

1. TE Mack Sutter — Alabama

School: Dunlap
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 110 NATL. (No. 5 TE)

Sutter on Alabama: “First time I stepped on campus it felt so electric and awesome and all the people there. I love Coach DeBoer. He’s down to earth. Kind of like a Midwestern guy. Big-time family guy too … Going there it’s a great place. I see myself there and the overall fit. Last year they played with a tight end every down and it’s cool to see. They’re getting those guys on the field.”

2. QB Jonas Williams — USC

School: Lincoln-Way East
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 118 NATL. (No. 9 QB)

Scout’s Take: “USC commit Jonas Williams has long been considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the cycle since his days as an underclassman. Williams is a well-rounded quarterback who shows quality passing skill and playmaking ability on Friday nights. We want to see how his physical traits stack up with this talented group of 2026 quarterbacks.”

3. CB Nick Hankins Jr. — Illinois

School: Belleville West
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 120 NATL. (No. 16 CB)

Scout’s Take: “Arguably the best tape of any senior back half defender, Nick Hankins is the definition of electric on Friday nights. As a two-way player for Belleville West (Ill.) Hankins is asked to do everything for his team. Returner, receiver, defensive back; he rarely comes off of the field. He’s an unbelievable athlete. You see it when the ball is in his hands showing off his change of direction and stop-start ability. As a defender, you see the fluidity in man coverage and the top-end speed when breaking to the football. And as a prospect who’s younger for the cycle, Hankins is still just scratching the surface of his potential.”

4. OT Claude Mpouma — Nebraska

School: Mount Carmel
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 150 NATL. (No. 16 OT)

About: Mpouma is new to football after moving to the U.S. to play basketball as a teenager. On the court, he helped lead Wendell Phillips Academy to an Illinois Class 2A championship two years ago. 2024 was his first season playing competitive football, and he earned the starting left tackle job. He transferred to state powerhouse Mount Carmel for his senior season and the Caravan went undefeated, claiming another state title while finishing as the No. 1 team in the state.

5. TE Gavin Mueller — Miami

School: South Elgin
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 170 NATL. (No. 7 TE)

Mueller on Miami: “The coaches there and even my personal relationship with Coach Cristobal is unlike any other school,” he told Rivals’ Greg Smith. “And even when I used to walk away from visits, I’d kind of feel like ‘maybe I could go here, or no, this isn’t the place for me.’ But Miami was one of the first times I felt like, ‘yeah, this one feels right.’”

6. DL Gabe Hill — Indiana

School: Naperville North (Ill.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 245 NATL. (No. 28 DL)

Hill on Indiana: “I just like the program they’ve built so far — it’s highly competitive, highly aggressive,” Hill told TheHoosier.com. “They’re a team with a lot of ambition, a lot of things to prove, so it’s exciting. I love Coach [Curt] Cignetti. I love the way he presents himself, the way he does things at the program. His level of attention to detail, it’s just mind-blowing.”

7. WR Nasir Rankin — Illinois

School: Morgan Park
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 247 NATL. (No. 21 WR)

Rankin on Illinois: “Man, it’s just ever since I went down there they treated me like I was already at the school,” Rankin told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “It was crazy. I knew it was home. It was my first offer. They were the first people to take a chance on me and they never stopped believing in me … It was perfect.”

8. TE JC Anderson — LSU

School: Mt. Zion
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 273 NATL. (No. 11 TE)

About: Anderson originally committed to Ole Miss at the beginning of July, but once Lane Kiffin departed for LSU, many Rebels pledges began to look elsewhere. Anderson is one of the few that followed the head coach to Baton Rouge. He flipped to the Tigers just before National Signing Day and has now inked with Kiffin and Co. “You could just tell that he’s (Kiffin) an insanely smart dude and that he just knows a ton of ball,” Anderson previously said.

9. EDGE McHale Blade — Michigan 

School: Simeon
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 344 NATL. (No. 33 EDGE)

Blade on Michigan: “At the end of the day, it’s still Michigan,” Blade told The Wolverine’s Ethan McDowell after the firing of head coach Sherrone Moore. “I chose this school for reasons far beyond football, so I’m not really too worried about the things that’s going on.”

10. S Messiah Tilson — Rutgers

School: Guilford
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 348 NATL. (No. 30 S)

About: “This past season as a high school senior, Tilson did a little bit of everything for his team. He carried the ball 30 times for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Also played receiver, hauling in 46 receptions of 742 yards and four more scores. Finally, he played defensive back where he racked up 61 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and four interceptions, one of which was a pick six.” — via The Knight Report

11. IOL Gene Riordan — Iowa

School: Hinsdale Central
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 353 NATL. (No. 30 IOL)

About: Standing in at 6’5 and 275 pounds ahead of his senior season, Riordan looks to be next in a long line of top offensive tackles to matriculate through Iowa’s program. He choses the Hawkeyes over Minnesota, Illinois and a long list of other programs. Rivals ranks Riordan as the No. 18 interior lineman nationally in its own rankings.