Illinois Football Recruiting: JUCO cornerback Ahmari Hayes commits to the Illini

Bill Cubit and the Fighting Illini have received their 15th verbal commitment for the Class-of-2016. On Tuesday night, College of San Mateo cornerback Ahmari Hayes took to Twitter to announce his pledge to the program; he held other offers from Texas State and South Alabama.

Hayes took an official visit to Champaign last weekend, and he was reportedly very impressed with the team's facilities. Hayes also told Illini Inquirer that he felt that the total package of athletics and academics would be best for his long-term future.

Highlights:

Though it may not seem that significant, this commitment from Hayes could end up being pretty important for an Illinois team that's been searching for more options on defense. With the departures of seniors V'Angelo Bentley and Eaton Spence this offseason, it's very likely that Hayes will compete for some immediate playing time in the Illini secondary.