Illinois football may seem bold in doing so, but the Illini are pushing their chips to the middle and going all-in on this weekend as their biggest recruiting weekend of the fall. Sure, beating No. 1 Ohio State is a monumental task for the No. 17-ranked Illini, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity for the program on the field and in the stands.
Saturday will be the team’s third sellout of the season and the second time the Illini will host FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show in Grange Grove. That sets up for a fantastic atmosphere in and around Gies Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
“The effect that has on people, a) that they want to come here but also b) the feeling when they’re leaving the building is a big part of it,” Illini head coach Bret Bielema said. “I really like more than anything the buzz around, like, we’re working on 27s and 28s, guys who are freshmen and sophomores in high school. One of the biggest things I learned when I was at Wisconsin was those kids who we were recruiting, Wisconsin had always been good. The kids I was recruiting, their entire lifetime Wisconsin had always been good. When I came here, it was almost kind of the exact opposite. I couldn’t reference to what they grew up watching and what they grew up feeling. A big part is our Illinois kids, but kids around the Midwest and when we’re going down to see kids in Florida.”
Slaying No. 1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) will be extremely difficult given the talent all over the Buckeyes’ roster, but it also provides the Illini (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) with a rare opportunity that could be season- and program-changing. The Illini recruiting staff will try to make the most of it.
On Saturday, the Illini are scheduled to host most of their Class of 2026 commitments, a few Class of 2026 flip opportunities and some highly-touted prospects in the classes of 2027 and 2028.
Let’s break it down.
2026 class to show up in force
Illinois will host 15 of its 24 commitments in the Class of 2026, including punter Jack Gray, who is traveling all the way from Australia to take his official visit.
It’s good to get the group together again, as many of them were here for the USC game, and continue to build those bonds. While adding to the class gets most of the outside attention during the fall, keeping this very talented class — the Illini’s best since the late 2000s — together is incredibly important, and the Illini have talent that other schools will want.
Plus, the group can help the Illini recruit fellow 2026 prospects and 2027 and 2028 prospects who are making the trip this weekend.
Below is the list of Illini commits expected to be in attendance for the Ohio State game.