The bulk of commitments to Illinois football’s Class of 2022 have occurred on the offensive side — 13 of 15 entering this week, to be precise.
Bret Bielema’s Illini on Monday afternoon took a step toward showing more balance when Connecticut defensive end Brian Allen Jr. verbally committed to the program.
“I’m staying home,” Allen wrote on Twitter alongside multiple orange and blue diamond emojis. The tweet also contained a video of a slowly-forming block I, followed by a still image of Allen in a white Illinois jersey with the word “COMMITTED” written below him.
Allen originally is from Woodstock and previously played for Marian Central Catholic but transferred to Connecticut-based St. Thomas More last February to finish his high school career.
Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247sports, the 6-foot-4, 243-pound Allen announced his final two colleges — Illinois and Iowa — earlier Monday.
Allen also held offers from Purdue, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Howard, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Rhode Island, Toledo, Virginia Tech and Western Michigan.
Per Rivals, Allen is the No. 2 defensive end in the state of Connecticut and 45th-ranked player at his position nationally in the Class of 2022.
