Illinois flips 2027 RB Steven Alexis from Colorado
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Saint Petersburg (Fla.) Gibbs three-star running back Steven Alexis has flipped his commitment from Colorado to Illinois.
Pledged to the Buffaloes since June 7, Alexis is now locking in with the Illini after taking an official visit to Champaign.
Alexis is the No. 1,185 overall prospect and No. 94 RB in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 125 player in Florida.
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The 6-foot, 200-pound burner is coming off a massive junior season for Gibbs. He rushed for over 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. Alexis averaged 9.0 yards per carry, toting the rock 124 times across 11 games.
Alexis becomes commit No. 11 for Illinois this cycle. The class now ranks 51st nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
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Evanston (Ill.) Township four-star cornerback Justin Johnson headlines the Illinois class as the lone blue-chip commit for head coach Bret Bielema. Johnson committed on March 4 and ranks as the No. 204 recruit and No. 24 corner in the nation.
“(Johnson’s) ball skills are there having played receiver, the closing speed is there, he’s a physically strong player who will get stronger. It would be good for us to see him a little more in man coverage to assess hips and change of direction but we see a really strong all around skill set here,” Rivals’ Allen Trieu wrote of Johnson after he committed this spring.
Johnson is also the lone defensive back in the class to date. He is one of six in-state commits in the class, alongside Frankfort Lincoln-Way East three-star offensive tackle Mason Halliman, Morton three-star OT Soren Fifer, Geneva Community three-star wide receiver Bennett Konkey and others.
“Illinois was the right choice for me because of the relationships I built throughout the recruiting process, especially with Bret Bielema and the entire staff,” Halliman told Rivals. “From the beginning, they made me feel like a real priority and showed consistent belief in me both as a player and as a person. Growing up an Illinois football fan, it always meant something different when I was on campus and around the program.”
An updated look at the Illinois class can be seen here. It also ranks 16th in the Big Ten, ahead of just Purdue and Maryland.
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