
Bielema Still Banking On Early June As Illini’s Critical Time For Official Visits
Illinois slated to have a half dozen uncommitted prospects for the 2026 recruiting class on campus for official visits this weekend
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
June 6, 2025
(Cover photo courtesy Nick Hankins' page on X)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The first weekend in June has always represented the most important recruiting time for Bret Bielema’s Illinois program.
The Illinois head coach, who is entering his fifth season, has repeatedly the called this weekend critical to the success of the recruiting victories Bielema and his staff have acquired over the last few seasons.
With the weather being warm and players still being campus for summer workout sessions with football strength and conditioning coach Tenarius ‘Tank’ Wright, northern programs such as Illinois need to have their June visits be the final sell for uncommitted prospects before other programs with weather advantages in the fall can have their shot at official visits.
In the 2024 recruiting class, Illinois signed 11 of the 16 high school prospects in the weeks following their June visits. In the 2025 class, seven prospects either gave their first and only verbal pledge to Illinois or flipped their decision to the Illini days after taking an official visit during the first two weekends in June.