Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

‘Why wait?’: Illinois lands pledge from in-state LB in 2022 recruiting class

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Just a few days after making his official visit to the University of Illinois, 3-star linebacker Malachi Hood has committed to the program.

Hood, a native of Joliet, Illinois, announced his decision with a post on social media on Monday. He took an official visit on Friday, June 4 and only needed a few days to decide to commit to Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini.

“I want to thank Coach Bielema, Coach Buh, and Coach Kane for taking a chance on me, a choice they will not regret,” Hood said on Twitter. “With that being said, I have decided to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Illinois!”

Hood is listed as a 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker in the 2022 class. He’s ranked as the No. 25 prospect out of Illinois and the No. 85 linebacker of the cycle. Currently, the Fighting Illini are the only program to extend an offer.

With Hood’s commitment, Illinois is up to 9 verbal pledges in the 2022 class. The Fighting Illini currently rank 29th nationally and 6th in the B1G in the recruiting rankings.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB