Mack Sutter is an Illinois native and one of the nation’s top tight end recruits — and was among multiple targets coveted by the Fighting Illini football program.
On Thursday, Sutter committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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Yet Illinois still maintains one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, with the nearly two dozen recruits landing it among the top 10 of multiple national rankings.
But after losing out on the homegrown talent, where does that leave the latest Illinois football recruiting class? Here is a look at who they’re targeting, who they’ve landed and where they rank:
Who else is Illinois football targeting for Class of 2026?
Mount Zion tight end JC Anderson is the next best thing for the Illini. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder has the Illini in his top three along with Auburn and Ole Miss. He is expected to decide on July 1.
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Other recruits high on the Illini radar, according to Writing Illini, include three-star edge rusher Tucker Ashford of Fort Worth, Texas; three-star cornerback AJ Marks of IMG Academy in Florida; and three-star safety Camaul King, also of Florida.
Another set on the “outside looking in,” according to the site, are four-star receiver Jacob Eberhart of St. Louis, three-star offensive tackle Marlen Bright of New Jersey and three-star receiver Owen Cabell of Nashville.
Illinois had a great mid-June, landing five top recruits in the span of five days. Doesn’t look like they’ll be slowing down soon.
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Illinois football recruiting: Top recruits in Class of 2026
The Illinois football Class of 2026 so far has 22 recruits with six of those ranked as four-star by one of four recruiting sites: On3, 247Sports, ESPN or Rivals; the rest are consensus three stars.
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Beyond star ranking, the Illinois program’s 22 commitments have an average of 12.6 offers from Power Four programs, according to 247Sports.com. That is 4.9 more on average than the Class of 2025 — and nearly four times as many as the Class of 2022.
Here is a look at the six four-star recruits:
The 6-foot, 180-pound Chicago Morgan Park receiver committed on May 21. He is ranked the No. 2 prospect in Illinois and No. 84 in the nation for the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports. He represents the highest-ranked in-state recruit captured by Illinois coach Bret Bielema during his time at the Illini helm. The two-sport star also has an offer from the Illinois basketball team and says he plans to play both sports.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder from Donovan Catholic High School ranks as the No. 12 offensive line prospect in the country and No. 218 overall in the Class of 2026. He is the highest-ranked offensive line recruit for Bielema at Illinois.
The 6-foot-2, 217-pounder from West Chester Lakota West ranks as the No. 13 linebacker in the Class of 2026, according to Rivals, which lists him as a four-star.
The 6-foot, 190-pounder is the No. 20 cornerback in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports, which lists him as a four-star.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder is the No. 1 edge rusher in the state and in the top 40 nationally at the position, according to Rivals and ESPN, both of which list him as a four-star recruit.
The 6-foot, 215-pounder from Jacksonville is listed at No. 30 among linebackers in the Class of 2026, according to Rivals, which lists him as a four-star recruit.
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Here are the remainder of the recruits in Illinois’ Class of 2026, with height, weight and home state. All are consensus three-star recruits.
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Will Vala: 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end from Downers Grove North.
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King Liggins: 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive lineman from Chicago Brother Rice.
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Parker Crim: 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive lineman from Lima, Ohio.
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Casey Thomann: 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive lineman from Olney East Richland.
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Kaedyn Cobbs: 6-foot, 195-pound linebacker from Denton, Texas.
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Jacob Alexander: 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher from Frankfort Lincoln-Way East.
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Kingston Shaw: 6-foot-4, 225-pound edge rusher from Orlando, Florida.
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Michael Clayton: 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback from Sanford, Florida.
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Where does Illinois’ Class of 2026 rank?
National recruiting analysts are extremely high on the Illini so far in its Class of 2026, with multiple having them ranked in the top 10. Here is a look at some of the top analyst rankings:
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ESPN: 11th overall | 4th Big Ten
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois football recruiting: Where Illini sit in Class of 2026 rankings
