Illinois’ latest Texas find, 6-foot-5 Southlake Carroll wideout Brody Knowles, turned down hometown TCU and SEC interest to bet on Bret Bielema’s vision—giving the Illini a towering 2027 target and a recruiting win deep in Big 12 country.
Illinois has made a concerted effort to find and recruit talent out of the state of Texas and this week they reaped the rewards of their efforts by securing the commitment of a priority wide receiver.
Brody Knowles, a three-star out of Southlake, Texas committed to the Fighting Illini this week making him the latest addition to the 2027 class. The school that he plays for, Southlake Carroll is considered one of the powerhouse programs in 6A football. Knowles picked Illinois over TCU, Arkansas, and 15 other Power Four offers.
Knowles is listed at 6-foot-5 and 190-pounds bringing a very solid frame for a perimeter receiver at the high school level. He is ranked as the No. 132 wide receiver and No. 1059 overall in the 2027 class according to the 24/7 Sports Composite.
In addition to football, Knowles also plays basketball at Southlake Carroll and plays on the EYBL circuit as a swing forward. His social media bio professes a 3.9 GPA which shows that Bret Bielema and his staff value not just athletic versatility but also intellect in their recruits.
His size and length present quarterbacks with a large target and as a junior he had 36 receptions for 816 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. According to 24/7 Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks, Knowles "Projects to the P4 level as a big outside target who could also possibly bulk into a versatile flex Y in the right situation."
Knowles gives Illinois another long-term piece at the wide receiver spot. And the Illini's recent efforts in Texas and Florida shows that the program understands the need to establish relationships in talent-deep states. For a program that prioritizes size and physicality at the skill positions, Brody Knowles certain fits the profile of what coach Bielema is looking for.
With the Illini putting recent wide receivers like Pat Bryant, Isaiah Williams, and Casey Washington into the NFL Draft, it's easy to see why playing in Champaign can be looked at as a destination. Wide receivers coach Justin Stepp continues to be one of the most productive members of the staff on the recruiting trail as well.
Bret Bielema continues to be hard at work on the recruiting trail. The Illini have won 19 games combined in the past two seasons, which has never been done before in program history and Bielema stays hard at work to make sure that he can bring in the young talent to keep the unprecedented success going.
