Shammond Cooper announced his decision at the Under Armour All-American Game. He picked the Illini over teams like Texas, Florida State, Oklahoma and Missouri. This is a huge snag by Lovie Smith and the Illinois coaching staff.
Cooper is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound inside linebacker from Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 293 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 17 inside linebacker in the nation. He is also the No. 5 player in the state of Missouri as well.
Leading up to Cooper’s commitment, the momentum was clearly heading in the direction of Illinois.