Subscribe
Follow Us
The Illinois football team picked up a big commitment on Wednesday as three-star 2026 defensive lineman King Liggins announced that he will play for Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini. The Chicago native was down to Illinois and Wisconsin, and he decided that he will play for his home-state school.
“BREAKING: Class of 2026 DL King Liggins has Committed to Illinois, he tells me for @on3recruits,” Hayes Fawcett said in a post. “The 6’4 285 DL from Chicago, IL chose the Fighting Illini over Wisconsin.”
King Liggins has big plans for his Illinois football career.
“I want to make history and leave a legacy at Illinois,” he said after announcing his commitment.
Liggins is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He is the #910 player in the 2o26 class, the #92 DL and the #21 player in the state of Illinois. Liggins currently attends Brother Rice High School in Chicago, IL. He chose the Fighting Illini over Wisconsin, but he also had offers from other big schools like Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, Northwestern, Kansas State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa and more.
“Even-front defensive tackle with the growth potential and play style to potentially develop into a schematically versatile interior defender,” Liggins' scouting report reads. “Hovering around 6-foot-2, 285 pounds with above-average arm length and a naturally low play style, which can be partially attributed to his background as a conference champion wrestler. Plays with enough anchor to constrict against single blocks and has flashed the ability to penetrate when tasked with battling double teams.”
Liggins isn't rated very high as he is just a three-star, but he definitely has the potential to make a big impact with the Illinois football team.
“Active, plays with good hustle, and owns enough lateral quickness to pursue and tackle ball carriers down the line,” the scouting report reads. “Physical traits do not jump off the page, but wrestling background paired with weight room video gives the impression that he could develop into a true space-eater as he continues to stack mass to his frame. Should be viewed as a Power Four caliber interior defensive line prospect who could develop into a quality starter on Saturdays.”
If you're an Illinois football fan, don't expect this number to be the same when the cycle wraps up, but the Fighting Illini currently have the 10th-best 2026 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. A big reason why is the sheer volume of commitments compared to other schools. With King Liggins' commitment, Illinois now holds 15 players in the class. However, 14 of those recruits are three-stars, and just one is a four-star.
