By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 17, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Mark Busch)

Now that the college schedule gives everyone a break, I have some time to do a piece I used to do where I check in on the commitments after their senior years.  I'm going to do this as a two-piece article with one on the offensive commits and one on the defense.  I'll focus on how their senior years went and whether they've improved their skills and bodies coming into their pending enrollment in Champaign.  First, the offense (In alphabetical order).

Kenyon Alston- First, Illinois reported that Alston has grown to a hefty 195 pounds over his prospect profile weight of 175.  That's quite a jump, and the really good news is that by the looks of his video he still has some room for growth.  Alston is still going to look a bit skinny when the takes the field in Champaign this Spring and Fall.  However, that extra weight will at least put him in play for a spot on the field this fall.  I wouldn't count on it, but unlike many of the players on this list, he has a shot.  I have to say his receiving skills have taken a big leap in the past year as well.  He's making difficult hands catches and his releases off the line are impressive.  When you watch this video, keep in mind that Bishop Moore is in one of the medium-sized brackets in Florida football, so this isn't the very best competition out there.  Its still as good as any competition in Illinois though.  Bishop Moore lost in the semi-final game last weekend.  I said on signing day that this is the best WR group Illinois has ever signed, yet Alston is probably the third best prospect in the group.  That doesn't mean I don't love him though.  He's a Pat Bryant type of prospect who will be an early contributor on a good team with star potential as an upper classman- especially when you consider that he won't turn 18 until week 4 of next season.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18017846/69092a4e2d1a606396e9a990

Javari Barnett- I mentioned on signing day that I was still upset over the loss of Barnett to Alabama after his initial commitment to Illinois.  Well, the Illini staff must have heard me because they managed to flip Barnett back to Illinois on signing day after continuing to stay with him through the fall.  The reason I felt that way about Barnett is that he has star potential.  His burst, contact balance, and vision are all first rate and he has proven his long speed on the track.  However, I have to say I was a little disappointed in his senior video.  He's still putting up amazing highlights, of course, but he was gimpy and didn't get that much action.  His Tampa Tech team is also one of the best programs in the best football-playing state in the nation, having lost in the 5A championship game.  However, Barnett didn't carry the load for Tampa Tech, and neither his physique nor his highlights looked any better than in his amazing junior film.  He also only caught one ball all year while another back carried the ball more and had more catches.  That's not what you'd expect from a P4 player. I'd look for Barnett to be a boom or bust type at Illinois.   He could be fantastic, but if he isn't, he's probably more of a 5 carry a game player.

Michael Clayton- Clayton is the best quarterback Illinois has signed in the Bielema era.  You might not think that based on his plunging recruiting ranking after his initial 4* rating, but that is a factor of his early commitment and decision to shut down his recruitment and maybe the fact that he's playing small time competition even though its in Florida.  Clayton's stats are eye-popping with a 62% completion percentage and 25 touchdowns versus 4 interceptions.  They were almost as good in his junior year as well, so that's no fluke.  Not only that, but Clayton has been knocked for his lack of rushing ability, but he's actually an above-average scrambler who simply doesn't need to show off his wheels very often because he does a tremendous job finding receivers before he needs to run.  He ran only 10 times in his entire senior year, and most of them are on the video below.   No one will confuse Clayton with Michael Vick, but he's an Altmyer-level scrambler with an arm just a touch better than Luke's.  He also has just a bit of a hitch in his throwing motion, but that is also just a bit better than Altmyer's current hitch and a lot better than the hitch that Altmyer had in his throwing motion as he entered college.  He's also a couple inches taller, so batted passes won't happen as often.  Now, Luke Altmyer developed an outstanding grasp of the game in his five years in college and there's no way to know if Clayton will do that.  However, by all accounts Michael Clayton is on that track.  He needs to put on a bit of muscle, but physically he could even be ready to play this fall.  Of course, with Illinois likely to add a starter in the portal and Ethan Hampton and Carson Boyd already on campus that's not likely to be necessary.  However, its nice to know he's a possibility.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2SR59z

Davon Grant-Grant might be the best athlete in this class.  He's a megatron-type of player who was the area football player of the year and athlete of the year for the last two years after starring in both football and basketball, and the best part of this equation is that he also has the most improvement ahead of him after scoring an incredible 21 touchdowns while playing for a team that totaled only 3 wins in the last two years while playing strong competition.  Not only that, but the Barbs of DeKalb used him as a runner and passer too, and he did pretty well.   Now, unlike several of the players listed above, Grant is not a candidate to play this year, and maybe not next year either.  He has a ways to go in terms of running routes and getting a release.  However, this is a guy everyone should keep following.  And, I don't want to get too crazy here, but keep in mind that he has a lot of growth potential and he's already as big as tight end signee Will Vala with more growth potential.  If he were to wander into the tight end room.... Wow.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17645885/691ded4b0e668ca3662c7cb3

Kai Pritchard- Right up until signing day, Pritchard was the highest rated offensive linemen in this class, and rightly so.  Pritchard was dominant in the private school league in which he played in New Jersey.  He has enough size for the Big Ten and has added 20 pounds in his last year to 290 not to mention an attitude that will fit in just right in the trenches of the Big Ten.  Pritchard isn't just a road grader either.  He has good enough athleticism to draw offers from Penn State and several other top level schools.  I don't think left tackle is in his future, but he could be a fit anywhere else on the line starting in 2027.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18037241/692526fd0d4fda37419d4e57

Nas Rankin- Rankin is an electric, eye-popping jitterbug who could be a fantastic playmaker for Illinois.  However, he didn't play as well in his senior year as you'd hope, and he not only failed to add muscle in the last year, he actually lost weight from his profile weight.  The lightest player on Illinois' roster last year weight 170 pounds, and the lightest players who got to see the field weighed 175.  So, based on that, I'd say Rankin's hopes of seeing the field as a freshman are slim, not to mention his earlier talk of playing both ways or even playing basketball too.  Coach Bielema indicated that he's going to be a wide receiver first and we'll go from there and that makes sense to me.  And as good as Rankin could be, I want to caution everyone that Illinois has already signed two 4* wide receivers in the Bielema era and that Malik Elzy and TySean Griffin haven't done much.  The Chicago Public League doesn't have very good competition, coaching of training, so its a longer road for these players than it is for other players.  Rankin could sneak onto the field this fall for a play or two, but I'd say the odds are against it, and that may be a good thing for his long-term health.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2TEdr6

Casey Thomann- Thomann looks like a Big Ten lineman already.  Illinois reported him as having added 25 pounds to his frame to come in at a healthy 6'7, 325, and I wouldn't argue with that.  However, like most Class A players he doesn't look nearly as good once you roll the video.  Its tough to learn the skills you need when you're playing guys who you outweigh by at least 100 pounds.  I would also say that, though he's hardly a statue like Hunter Whitenack was, Thomann has a ways to go in terms of agility.  He runs pretty well, but he doesn't chop his feet when he blocks players because for now he can just run into defenders and succeed.  He doesn't explode his arms into defenders, and he doesn't seem to know what to do with his hands most of the time.  In short, Thomann will have a long way to go in terms of physical training and skill development.  However, It will be fun to see what he can become when he gets there.

Will Vala- I'll bet Downer's Grove North loved having Will Vala on the team.  He's a great competitor who was productive on both sides of the ball.  He played more tight end than defensive line and that's where Illinois announced him.  However, I wouldn't look for anything like the 58 catches for 800 yards and 8 touchdowns when he's in the Big Ten.  You see, despite having average athleticism for a tight end and plenty of toughness, Vala is awfully small.  And its not even a matter of getting in the weight room.  His listed height and weight of 6'3, 225 are both generous, and even if they weren't then Vala would be the smallest tight end in recent memory at Illinois.  So, even if Barry Lunney finally commits to using his tight ends primarily as receivers instead of blockers, I would rather see Vala more as an H Back.  Once he fills out and bulks up he'll probably be a decent enough blocker, and he's the type that will probably show sure hands, but I'm not looking for Vala to be  a starter at Illinois.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18348789/673d41011c3a2651a0f031c8

Landon Von Seggern- Von Seggern is a bit like Vala in that he's on the small side for his position at a generously-listed 6'4 275, and yet he also only carries average athleticism.  However, like Will Vala, he's also a gritty guy who you can tell loves to play football.  I mentioned this in the Micah Smith piece and it struck me again as I was watching all of his single game highlights for the 2025 season: he should be a center, not a tackle.  On top of being fairly short, he also has short arms, yet he's a born football player who would do better in the middle of a line rather than out in space.  I'm not saying that Von Seggern has anywhere near the athleticism of Micah Smith, but of course playing center is about a lot more than being able to pull and block.  That's where I would look for Von Seggern to shine since I have a hard time seeing him put on the mass that it would take to be a guard in the Big Ten yet he also doesn't have the quick feet or long arms that you'd like to see in a tackle.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2TGqTa

Nelsyn Wheeler- I wasn't thrilled when Illinois added Nelsyn Wheeler as a back-up after Javari Burnett flipped to Alabama.  He seemed very much like a back up plan and I could easily see why he didn't have man offers.  However, he showed he had legit speed with some strong track times (albeit in the small school category in a state without much competition).  However, Wheeler transferred to Nebraska state power Millard South and joined Von Seggern for his senior year in high school and he really showed out.  Even then, Wheeler didn't even get as many carries as a Division 3-bound running back who averaged 7.4 yards a carry to Wheeler's 8.5. We all know Nebraska doesn't have the athletes of the more football rich states in this country, but he's playing the very best players in the state in these clips, and to me he looks like the best player on the field.     He has speed that will translate, a nice shifty cutting style, and pretty good contact balance.  And best of all, he's short.  Short guys with legitimate game breaking speed can be really dangerous in college.  No one should be buying his jersey yet, but Wheeler is a guy who could really explode and be a star.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2T9Smw

So, that's the offensive group for the Illini Class of '26.  Like you'd expect its a higher quality group than we've seen in quite a while.  I was particularly happy to see Alston, Wheeler and Pritchard's tapes and their improvements.  Hopefully we get a chance to see them in the Orange and Blue in a couple years with even bigger improvements.