TE Dorsey pledges to Illinois

Illinois landed a commitment on Saturday from 2-star tight end Louis Dorsey from Jacksonville (Fla.) Ribault. Dorsey committed to the Illini while in Champaign for an official visit.

Dorsey also held offers from Baylor, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Central Florida, West Virginia, and others. It's unknown whether Dorsey still plans to take a scheduled visit to UCF.

The Illini have led for Dorsey for roughly a month. Though he had stated he would wait until national signing day to announce a commitment, the pledge to Illinois was not a shocker.

“My favorite right now is Illinois,” Dorsey recently told OrangeandBlueNews.com. “They want me to come in and make an impact. The coaches have NFL experience, so they will get me ready for the pros.”

Illinois is thin at tight end, with sophomore Caleb Reams, redshirt freshmen Andrew Trainer and Griffin Palmer returning in 2017. Zarrian Holcombe, who played wide receiver last season, could also move to tight end.

He will have to continue to add bulk to compete in the Big Ten, but Dorsey tells OrangeandBlueNews.com that he now checks in at over 220 pounds.

Dorsey is commitment No. 19 for the Illini as National Signing Day looms on Feb. 1. He is also the fourth commitment from Florida, joining DE Owen Carney, WR Carmoni Green, and RB Mike Epstein.

With under two weeks to go, the Illini's 2017 recruiting class is ranked No 41 nationally by Rivals.com and No. 9 in the Big Ten.