The 2026 commitments continue to roll in for Illinois, as four-star athlete Nasir Rankin announced he will join the Illini during a ceremony at Morgan Park High School on Wednesday afternoon. Rankin is rated as the top 2026 football player in Illinois and adds to a stacked wide receiver class for head coach Bret Bielema.
Illinois has already received commitments from Davon Grant and Kenyon Alston. All three receivers are 6-foot-1 or taller and extremely athletic. Grant joins Rankin with an “athlete” designation on 247Sports.
Rankin’s decision proves Illinois’ rise among the powers of college football. The talented Morgan Park product earned offers from schools like Wisconsin, North Carolina, Missouri, Michigan, Oregon, Ole Miss and USC. However, he stayed true to his home state school after Illinois was his first offer.
Bielema has excelled at recruiting certain areas — including Florida — during his tenure in Champaign but has failed to dive into the Chicago pipeline. Ramping up recruiting in-state would be massive for the program and boost Illinois’ efforts as it climbs the rankings.
An intriguing part of Rankin’s game is his ability to play both sides of the football. The high school junior excelled at both receiver and corner for Morgan Park this past season, and Illinois has shown interest in allowing the talented athlete to explore both options. Other programs may follow suit after junior Travis Hunter’s Heisman campaign at Colorado, making everyone want their own 2-in-1 player.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
@benfader7
