Illinois offensive line recruit wasn't always a big man on campus

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

May 30—CHAMPAIGN — The first time Morton High School football coach Adam O'Neill saw Soren Fifer, he did not immediately think "future Big Ten offensive lineman."

The then-freshman Fifer checked in at 6 feet, 1 inches, and 195 pounds.

"He was an athlete and he played lots of sports growing up," O'Neill said. "He looks pretty good with a basketball in his hand."

Soon, a growth spurt. By that spring, Fifer was 6-4 and 240 pounds. With football in his future.

Now 6-6 and pushing 300 pounds, Fifer is on his way to Illinois in 2027. He made a verbal commitment to Bret Bielema's team on May 14, picking Illinois ahead of offers from Big Ten schools Iowa, Oregon and Indiana.

Toward the end of the process, O'Neill felt Fifer lean toward Bielema's program.

"Illinois was not a surprise," O'Neill said. "When he broke down his last four or five schools that he was really excited about, Illinois was always there. In the conversations I had with him, Illinois just kept coming back up. It seemed to me like it was going to go that way."

Morton has a handful of former players now at the FCS level, including Illinois State running back Seth Glatz and South Dakota State offensive lineman Ian Mutchler.

O'Neill, who previously worked for a decade on the coaching staff at Peoria High, is entering his fourth year in charge of the Potters/Hogs.

Morton went 7-4 in 2025, winning its playoff opener before dropping a second-round game against Peoria.

"We lost a heartbreaker, back and forth," O'Neill said. "It hurt me a little extra. I'm always rooting for (Peoria) unless we are playing each other."

About the nickname: officially, Morton is the Potters. But back in the 1970s, a reporter quoted the coach, after a big victory win on a rainy day, saying "we were just rolling around like a bunch of hogs."

The nickname stuck and is the unofficial football mascot. The players refer to themselves as the Hogs. So do the fans.

Room to grow

Fifer is at the young end age-wise for his class. He could be entering his junior year in high school instead of his final season.

"I think there's a ton of development physically, emotionally that is going to happen on its own," O'Neill said. "He's still young."

Fifer is a good student with a 3.5 grade-point average. And he is becoming a leader with the Hogs.

"We've had some very strong senior leadership at offensive line," O'Neill said. "He's been the next in line, waiting and following those guys. He's done a really good job in the offseason pushing and leading our offensive line group. They've done a really good job in the weight room."

At Illinois, O'Neill expects Fifer's growth to continue.

"He is going to look like a different kid in the next couple years," O'Neill said. "And he looks good now."

If Fifer makes the progress O'Neill expects at Illinois, the NFL could be part of his future.

"He's got all that physicalness that you can't coach," O'Neill said.

He knows what he is talking about. O'Neill worked with current NFL players Kendrick Green (Browns), Marques Cox (Dolphins) and LaCale London (Falcons).

"(Fifer) is bigger then all of them at this age," O'Neill said.

Fifer, a three-star recruit, is one of four Illinois commits so far for the class of 2027. All four are from the state, as Fifer joins Lincoln-Way East offensive lineman Mason Halliman, Evanston Township cornerback Justin Johnson and St. Laurence linebacker Sean Rice.

Coming soon

Illinois fans will have a chance to check out Fifer early in the high school season. Morton opens its season in Champaign County, playing Mahomet-Seymour at Frank Dutton Field in Mahomet on Aug. 21.

O'Neill expects a good 2026 season for Morton. Having Fifer lead the way adds to his confidence.

Fifer's college choice of Illinois is popular in Morton, which is just 82 miles from Champaign-Urbana and located right off Interstate 74 before arriving in Peoria.

"Lots of our teachers went to Illinois," O'Neill said.

Soren isn't the last football-playing Fifer. His younger brother, Koen, is on track to help Morton and play in college, too. Youngest brother Locklin is in the seventh grade.

Soren wrestled earlier in his high school career. He competed in track and field, throwing the shot and discus while working on his speed.

"He's going to be dominant," O'Neill said of what he expects from Fifer this fall. "The kids we've got around him are going to help, too. We've got a chance to have a really good team. We've got two all-conference quarterbacks coming back."

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos