Florida keeps delivering as Illinois football lands big-time recruit over national powers

Florida keeps delivering as Illinois football lands big-time recruit over national powers

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Florida keeps delivering as Illinois football lands big-time recruit over national powers
Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema beating Tennessee
Illinois coach Bret Bielema is presented with the Music City Bowl trophy after defeating Tennessee in an NCAA college football game on Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The national ranking for the Illinois football class of 2027 isn't blowing anyone away right now.

I will be the first to say that I am a little spoiled when the Illini pulled in a top 25 recruiting class for 2026. I want that again and again, but Bret Bielema doesn't have that in the cards right now.

Illinois is still building a solid haul, though. There is quality at the top, and roster depth is clearly a topic in this group. On Wednesday afternoon, the Illini continued to add to the quality and depth with another commitment.

Trezavant Boyd took to social media to announce that he was committing to the Orange and Blue.

Boyd is a 5-foot-10, 160-pound cornerback from Miami Central High School in Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 736 player in the class of 2027. Boyd is also the No. 71 cornerback in the country and the No. 60 player coming out of Florida.

I kind of give the side eye to the No. 736 national ranking. While that is the case on 247Sports, Boyd has numerous massive scholarship offers that say he is closer to a four-star recruit.

Illinois beat out some of the national powers for Boyd's commitment. He had offers from teams like Georgia, Miami (FL), and Florida State, to name a few.

Bret Bielema is giving the Illinois football roster some nasty options in the secondary

The class of 2027 is starting to round out nicely. We have 16 commitments thus far with a national recruiting ranking of No. 56 in the country.

I want to see that number comfortably inside the top 50 when it is all said and done, and there is plenty of time for Bielema to do some work.

With that being said, I love who Illinois has landed. Boyd is a top 800 recruit and was wanted by some big-time programs. Our top commitment right now is Justin Johnson, a four-star who is in the top 250 nationally.

Both Boyd and Johnson play cornerback. Illinois is loading up on a position that is wounded right now, and we will need more and more talent moving forward.

Last season, the Illini ranked sub-60 in the country in pass defense. That can't happen under Bielema. This program has been a staunch pass defense since he took over late in 2020, and that trend needs to continue in the future. Boyd and Johnson will make sure of that.

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This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Florida keeps delivering as Illinois football lands big-time recruit over national powers.

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