The Illinois Fighting Illini have big plans for the passing game with former East Carolina Pirates quarterback Katin Houser in the fold and a talented group of wide receivers.

Over the weekend, news broke that the Fighting Illini hosted a former FCS receiver, Joshua Lorick from Division-I Football Championship Series (FCS) college Incarnate Word University based in San Antonio, Texas.

Lorick played two seasons with the Cardinals in 2024 and 2025 and has plenty of gas left in the tank for another college football season. 

A Class of 2021 recruit from Adelanto, California, Lorick took to social media to share his excitement for the visit as fans and media began taking note. 

Lorick wrote that he was "blessed for this opportunity" to play for coach Bret Bielema's Fighting Illini football program while also posting a picture of a block 'I' at Willard Airport in Savoy, Illinois, five miles south of Champaign where the University of Illinois' campus is located. 

"I can't be more blessed for this opportunity, football was just over and I was getting ready to go to the military," Lorick wrote on his Instagram account. 

"God blessed me with another year and the last thing on my mind was the Big 10," he continued.

"True definition of they gone find you anywhere. Found me on the couch in Adelanto, California. Anything's possible when you trust in the Lord," he added.

A follow-up post from the account in a series of Instagram stories from Lorick said that he signed with coach Bielema's program. 

"Signed, sealed, delivered...#home," Lorick wrote. 

The 6-foot, 170-pound senior has two college football seasons under his belt and would add to an Illinois receivers room that includes former Florida Atlantic transfer Jayshon Platt and returnees including Collin Doxin and Hudson Clement. 

Lorick was recently granted an extra year of eligibility and is hoping to take his game to the next level.  

The former Incarnate Word player is coming off of over 1,000 yards combined during his two seasons with the Cardinals in Texas, including a 59-catch, 503 yard season in 2025 with the team. 

He has three career receiving touchdowns with all of them coming last season in San Antonio. 

Lorick originally started at El Camino College transferring and gaining meaningful playing time with the Cardinals in 2024. He exceled afterward, recording 49 catches for 520 yards in his first season while and also throwing for a touchdown.