If you thought Illinois coach Bret Bielema and his staff were going to take a little break on the recruiting front over the summer, you thought wrong. The Illini have eight commits in the 2027 class, including five already this month after three-star linebacker Anthony James, from La Marque (Texas), committed to Illinois on Saturday.
James, who received an offer from the Illini back in April, visited Champaign on Friday before committing on Saturday. One day on campus, it seems, was all he needed.
James, the second inside linebacker in Illinois’ 2027 class, chose the Illini over a handful of Power 4 programs, including two Big Ten schools in Purdue and Maryland.
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Who is Anthony James?
James is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound middle linebacker who was named All-District first team and All-County first team after finishing his junior year with 124 tackles (24 for losses), three sacks, one forced fumble and a pass breakup.
After helping lead La Marque to a 10-3 record and a regional playoff appearance, he will be entering his 2026 senior season as the 124th-ranked linebacker in the country and the 170th-ranked prospect in Texas.
Anthony James’ scouting report
Two things immediately stand out on tape about James – his length and his speed. Yes, James is a tad light when compared to a prototype inside linebacker, but he makes up for it with his instincts, overall athleticism and downhill speed.
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At his best against the run, James has no problem getting off blocks from bigger offensive linemen or fighting off a double team. He is also good at filling the right gap and getting to the quarterback in passing situations.
How does Anthony James fit at Illinois?
James will likely need to add some size and strength to make a push for significant playing time on Illinois’ defense. That could make it difficult for him to carve out a role in his first couple of college seasons.
At the same time, with his speed and strong tackling skills, James could make an instant (or at least early) impact on special teams. And with the Illini embracing a 3-3-5 alignment, he could factor into certain defensive personnel groupings on the sooner side based on those aforementioned skills. New coordinator Bobby Hauck seems less concerned with finding cookie cutter players than identifying the talent that can really play and figuring out where to slot them after the fact.
Either way, James is a solid get for Illinois and someone who could potentially start a year or two down the line for the Illini.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Illinois Football Gets Commitment From Linebacker Anthony James: What It Means.
