Illinois football lands commitments from elite junior college players
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CHAMPAIGN — Illinois football added a pair of elite junior college transfers to its Class of 2026, according to the players’ social media.
Illinois added cornerback Jakwon Morris and offensive lineman TJ Taylor just hours apart over the Thanksgiving holiday. Both are ranked among the top JUCO players in the country, according to 247Sports.
Morris is a 6-foot, 175-pound corner who had committed to USC. He last played at Northwest Mississippi Community College and will have two years of eligibility left. Jeremy Werner of 247Sports says he will sign Wednesday and enroll at Illinois in January.
“Morris is a tad lanky,” Werner writes, “but he is a fast (he runs under a 4.5-second 40) and feisty corner who is very comfortable playing tight man coverage thanks to his quickness, speed and competitiveness.”
Taylor is a 6-6, 315-pound offensive tackle from College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. He joins Alfred Washington of Northeast Mississippi as the Illini’s second JUCO offensive lineman addition in the class.
Taylor “has great power and quickness for that size, but he also just plays with an absolute mean streak,” Werner wrote. “Taylor is a potential plug-and-play tackle on either side, though he could also move inside to guard where he can be a mauler.”
Illinois’ Class of 2026 as of Nov. 28 has 27 players and is ranked among the top 25 in the nation, according to multiple recruit-tracking websites.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois football recruiting: Illini add two junior college commits
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