Illinois added a piece at a need position on Friday with a commitment from grad transfer wide receiver Jonah Morris.

Morris pledged to the Illini following an official visit to the campus last weekend. Morris last played at Norther Colorado after previous stops at Indiana and Akron, his hometown school.

"We felt like this was the right move to get me ready for the next level, as well as it being closer to home so my family can come see me play for my final year of college ball," Morris said in his commitment announcement on Twitter.

On his visit to Illinois, Morris got the full tour of the campus and facilities on his visit and spent time getting to know the coaching staff. That sold him on Illinois.

"My visit went great," Morris said. "I got to see the campus, facilities, and got to meet with some players as well."

Morris initially committed to Indiana in class of 2016 and redshirted his freshman season. He played in nine games for the Hoosiers in 2017, primarily on special teams, before transferring to his hometown school Akron.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, Morris stated all 12 games at wide receiver for the Zips.

That season, Morris finished third on the team in receiving with 381 yards and a touchdown on 26 receptions. HIs best game came against Morgan State when he had , four catches for 94 yards and a touchdown

Morris then missed the 2019 campaign with an injury suffered in training camp. He says he's now fully recovered and ready to go.

"This is the best I’ve felt in years," Morris said. "During that 2019 season I was out with a torn ACL and meniscus. Then the Covid came and i decided to opt out of the 4-6 free games (in 2020)."

He subsequently transferred to Northern Colorado. In five games last fall, Morris had 20 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Morris jumped back into the Portal and was getting FBS and FCS interest before committing to Illinois.

"I know that I am a big time player and for my past year of eligibility I want to be back on the big stage and be with some coaches that will help me get ready for the next level while also being able to win and compete for a championship or bowl game," Morris said.

Highly recruited coming out of Akron (Ohio) Hoban, Morris chose Indiana over offers from Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, and others.

He was named Player of the Year as a senior by the Akron Beacon Journal and the Akron Touchdown Club Rivals.com ranked Morris the No. 43 athlete in the nation and No. 22 prospect in the state of Ohio in the class of 2016.

Illinois exited spring ball with just six returning wide receivers on the roster, including redshirt freshman Daniel Edwards who converted from DB to WR. The rest of the wide receiver room will be made up of true freshmen and walk-ons, so Illinois definitely needed to add to the position during the offseason.

The Illini were hit hard by transfers, losing six wide receivers to Portal, including highly-regarded Deuce Spann and part time starter Donny Navarro. The starters - Isaiah Williams, Pat Bryant, and Casey Washington - are solid, but Illinois badly needs to add depth to the position.

True freshman Shawn Miller and Eian Pugh enrolled early and were on campus for the spring semester, but both missed some time with injuries. Three more incoming freshmen Hank Beatty, Tyson Rooks, and Ashton Hollins join the group later this summer.

Morris didn't schedule any other official visits and was focused on Illinois after making the trip to Champaign last weekend. He believes he can make an impact.

"What I add is versatility, a big body with a big catch radius, and a competitive edge," he said.

Morris is the fifth incoming transfer for the Illini for the 2022 season, joining offensive lineman Dylan Davis (Furman), cornerback Terrell Jenkins (Minnesota State), defensive lineman TeRah Edwards (Northwestern), defensive lineman Raashaan Wilkins (Vanderbilt) and quarterback Tommy DeVito (Syracuse).