Illinois Football news: 4-Star OL Micah Smith Flips commitment from UCLA to the Illini

The Illinois Football staff had a lot of work to do ahead of them entering the offseason to replace 4 starters on the offensive line. Luckily, Coach Bart Miller has recently added a slew of new commits to his arsenal, as top-ranked JUCO linemen Maika Matelau, TJ Taylor, and Alfred Washington all announced their intent to sign with the Illini within the past week.

Now, Illinois football has landed yet another eye-opening commitment, this time, through the prep recruiting ranks — adding the commitment of 4-star offensive lineman Micah Smith. Smith had previously been committed to the UCLA Bruins dating back to early June, before flipping to the Illini on Wednesday, and inking his letter of intent on National Signing Day. (12/3). Of note, Micah’s brother, Maurice, a transfer QB from Chowan University announced his commitment to the Illini earlier this morning.

The Fit

The 6’6, 330-pound Florida native certainly brings both the size and length, paired with a rare streak of athleticism for his size.  As he arrives on campus, Smith is a guy who could step into a larger role in year two if he develops well. Notably, he possesses all the measurements of a future NFL lineman.

Micah is currently rated as the 14th-ranked Interior Offensive Lineman in the nation (234th overall). Additionally, he is the 50th-rated player in the talent rich state of Florida — which certainly is impressive. If Illinois wants to continue its streak of sustained success, they must continue to get better on the offensive front. This commitment is a big one in continuing Coach Miller’s current streak of momentum heading into the offseason.

Illinois football is a program that needs to be strong in the trenches. Smith is a huge piece in continuing to build towards that.

____________________________________________________________________
Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! The Armchair team is proud to partner with Hamilton Walker’s Seafood and Spirits. Reserve your table HERE. Enter our home game giveaways on our social media pages to win a $100 gift card.

We are also proud to partner with the Campus Ink Illini NIL Store! Use the code: ARMCHAIRILLINI for 15% off your purchase. Please subscribe to the Armchair Illini Podcast on YouTube here.

Above all, for feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. Additionally, please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around.

Finally, subscribe to our newsletter here for more Illinois news! Go Illini!