Nebraska has crossed into Illinois for its latest commitment in the 2022 class.

Valen Erickson, a 3-star offensive line prospect out of Chicago, gave his verbal pledge to the Huskers on Friday afternoon. He became the ninth player of the cycle to commit to Scott Frost and Co. and is the first offensive lineman to join the group.

Erickson made his announcement with a post on Twitter. He committed to Nebraska over offers from Illinois, Louisville, Missouri, Purdue, Tennessee, Cincinnati and others.

Erickson is listed at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds and is considered one of the Top 20 prospects out of Illinois. He also cracks the Top 75 offensive tackles for the 2022 class, coming in at No. 74 per s47Sports Composite.

Nebraska currently owns one of the smallest classes in the B1G with just nine verbal commits at the end of July. The Huskers rank 13th in the B1G and 59th nationally in the recruiting rankings.

Adding Erickson is a nice boost for a group that has lacked offensive lineman. Winning the battles in the trenches is a key to success in the B1G and the addition of Erickson will provide the Huskers with some depth up front.