COMMIT: Illinois lands JUCO OL Isaiah Adams

On Tuesday night, Illinois added their second transfer of the day when Garden City Community College offensive lineman Isaiah Adams announced his intentions to join Bret Bielema's program.

Adams commits to the Illini over offers from Kansas, UCF, Arizona and Colorado as well Big Ten West Rival Minnesota. A native of Canada, Adams is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound, offensive tackle that will likely be a starter for Illinois come next season.

Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller led the pursuit of Adams and hosted him for an official last weekend, which included a trip to State Farm Center for the basketball game against Arizona.

"he was telling me about the direction of the program, where it's headed, and how I could be an impactful player," Adams told Orange and Blue News after his visit. "He likes my aggressive in the run game and my quickness."

Illinois is set to replace four starting offensive linemen this offseason, including Vederian Lowe and Alex Palczewski who both started at tackle for Illinois in 2021. With Julian Pearl returning as one starting tackle, Adams appears to be the guy most likely to play opposite Pearl. The two will protect Syracuse transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito, who the Illini landed a commitment from last week.

With two years of legibility remaining, Illinois is getting a massive man to play tackle with good speed and athleticism. That allows him to block defenders downfield in the run game and to pull. His physicality is something that has endeared him to Miller and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema.