3-star LB Jared Badie commits to Illinois

While most of us were either asleep or getting the sparklers and Roman candles ready, Bret Bielema and his staff continued to bolster the 2022 recruiting class.

Three-star linebacker Jared Badie announced his commitment to the Fighting Illini early Sunday morning.

The Oswego East product committed to Illinois over Big Ten rivals Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Purdue. Badie also had power-five offers from Iowa State, Tennessee & Texas Tech, among others. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound linebacker is a top-15 recruit in the state according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and still has another season to help boost his profile. With Bret Bielema’s new scheme, Badie could develop into a hybrid edge rusher.

Badie, along with reciever Eian Pugh (Fenwick), running back Jordan Anderson (Joliet Catholic), and linebacker Malachi Hood (Joliet Catholic), are childhood friends from the Chicago area and have each committed to Illinois this offseason.

The Illini now have 13 commits for the 2022 class, including seven in-state pledges. Another top target, Johnston City (IL) safety Austin Brown, is also announcing his commitment later today.