Ked's Recruiting Roundup: IlliniGuys Catches Up With Illinois Target Cole Kelly as Recruiting Battle Intensifies

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

July 21, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Chicago Sun-Times)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Few players in Illinois' loaded 2028 recruiting class have seen their stock rise as quickly as Neuqua Valley four-star wing Cole Kelly. If not for Bolingbrook guard Brady Pettigrew holding the consensus spot as the state's No. 1 prospect according to PrepHoops, Kelly would have a strong case to claim that spot.

The Naperville native has emerged as one of the Midwest's most sought-after prospects, attracting attention from several Big Ten powers. Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and . . .

 

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