Under the radar linebacker pledges to Illinois

Linebacker Ayo Shogbonyo from Arlington (Texas) Mansfield Summit committed to Illinois on Sunday following an official visit.

The Illini offered Shogbonyo during the visit, and the 6-foot-2, 206 pound Shogbonyo made his commitment public via Twitter.

He talked to OrangeandBlueNews.com about why Illinois was the right fit. Academics played a big role. Shogbonyo plans to major in engineering.

“The engineering program at Illinois is wonderful, top five in the nation,” Shogbonyo said. “The facilities are amazing. The have a lot to offer. "

Rivals.com ranks Shogbonyo a 2-star prospect. Illinois was his only Power 5 offer, with his other offers coming from Air Force, Army, and UTEP. He visited UTEP officially.

During his official visit to Illinois, Shogbonyo spent some time getting to know the Illinois staff, including head coach Bill Cubit and new linebacker coach Tim McGarigle

“The coaching staff is really nice,” Shogbonyo said. “Coach Cubit is doing a great job, and a coach that I will love to play for. Coach McGarible is very knowledgeable in what he does.”

Shogbonyo is commitment No. 21 for Illinois with National Signing Day coming up next Wednesday. He’s joins fellow linebacker commits Christion Abercrombie and Jake Hansen.

He knows he wasn’t heavily recruited, but Shogbonyo believes he has the ability to play at the Big Ten level.

“ I was under the radar, but I guess that’s just how recruiting goes,” Shogbonyo. “Sometimes you get overlooked. “

Illinois is targeting Mansfield Summit defensive lineman Myles Adams, who also visited the Illini this weekend.