Shock Transfer: Top JUCO Cornerback Ditches USC for Illinois—What’s Behind the Unexpected Move?

Who saw THAT coming on Thanksgiving Day? While most of us were digging into turkey and mashed potatoes, Illinois football pulled off a colossal upset—not on the field, but in the recruiting battlefield. Imagine snagging a top-tier junior college cornerback, Jakwon Morris, who initially had his sights set on USC, the No. 5 Big Ten powerhouse. This flip to Champaign not only rattles the recruiting landscape but also raises an intriguing question: can Illinois turn this surprise steal into tangible success on the gridiron? Morris isn’t just any JUCO corner; he’s the cream of the crop in Mississippi and a timely addition for a squad looking to patch up some glaring secondary holes. With national signing day looming, this could be the spark that ignites Illinois’ 2026 class—and maybe, just maybe, shifts the power dynamics in the conference. Ready to dive deeper into this game-changing move? LEARN MORE.

Illinois football swooped up a huge Thanksgiving Day upset — on the college football recruiting trail. The Illini even grabbed a talent originally heading to the No. 5 ranked Big Ten team USC.

Top-ranked junior college cornerback Jakwon Morris is heading to Champaign instead of Los Angeles, flipping to Illinois Thursday. Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals revealed Morris’ move by releasing his new commitment graphic.

Morris isn’t just the best JUCO CB, but the Northwest Mississippi C.C. defender is the state’s top prospect among junior college players.

USC previously won him over on Oct. 13. The Trojans at the time representing his only Big Ten offer. The 6-foot, 175-pounder mostly was courted by Group of Five teams.

Significance of Illinois recruiting win over USC

Illinois tight end Cole Rusk (14) is tackled by Wisconsin linebacker Mason Posa (8) during the second quarter of their game Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. — Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Turns out Morris was garnering late Power Four interest. Illinois insider for 247Sports Jeremy Werner revealed Southeastern Conference Kentucky, Ole Miss and Arkansas offered him. Meanwhile, Purdue out of the Big Ten entered the picture too with a late offer.

Werner broke down the significance of Morris pivoting to Bret Bielema and the Illini.

“The Illini lose senior Torrie Cox Jr. and could lose Xavier Scott, who could take a redshirt after an injury-marred season but also could make the leap to the NFL, so Illinois needs to add depth at corner/nickel,” Werner wrote. “Plus, Illinois could use upgrades at the position after the secondary struggled, particularly after Scott’s injury.

Werner adds: “The Illini must improve depth at the position as injuries have really hurt the Illini in the secondary in three of the last four seasons.”

This is a huge fourth quarter recruiting win out of Champaign with the early national signing day period still a week away. Morris is now the 25th verbal commit for the 2026 recruiting class. Illinois ranks 11th in the 18-team conference, but is bowl eligible with a 7-4 record.

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