Another commitment for Illinois football! Three-star offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (IL) has given a verbal pledge to the Fighting Illini over Vanderbilt and Syracuse. The big 6-foot-6, 260-pound prospect was supposed to announce his decision on Wednesday, so this must be a pretty nice surprise for the coaching staff.
According to 247Sports, Palczewski is rated as the No. 1236 overall player and No. 34 Illinois native in the class-of-2017. Other Power 5 programs that had previously expressed interest include Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, N.C. State, and North Carolina; these schools may have stopped their respective pursuits because Palczewski missed his entire junior season at Prospect (Mt. Prospect) with a neck injury.
We Will Win pic.twitter.com/6g2c7lGWpM
— Alex Palczewski (@PalczewskiAlex) January 24, 2017
“After thinking it over and talking with my family, I’ve decided to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Illinois. It’s time for Illinois Athletes to stay at home and fight for Illinois because...We Will Win.”
Illinois’ offensive line currently sits at four-deep for this recruiting cycle thanks to additional commitments from three-star OL Vederian Lowe (IL), three-star OL Larry Boyd (MO), and three-star OL/early enrollee Hojo Watkins (OH). With five scholarships remaining, it’s probably safe to say that this position group is set until next year.