Four-star 2018 tight end Luke Ford signed with Georgia on Thursday afternoon.
Ford considered Illinois in his final five schools, beside college football powerhouses like Auburn, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.
While this may have been just a hometown discount by Ford, a Carterville, Illinois, native, he put the Illini in a national conversation, even if the crystal ball trended toward Georgia and Alabama prior to his 3 p.m. decision.
Ford had originally committed to Arkansas earlier in 2017.
Illinois already signed tight end Daniel Barker in this signing period, who will likely play behind sophomore Louis Dorsey in 2018.