Four-star athlete Marquez Beason signed with Illinois during the first day of the Early Signing Period on Wednesday.
Beason — 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds, per 247 — was early momentum for Lovie Smith’s 2019 class, which is shaping up to be his best yet. Beason is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Illinois since Arrelious Benn in 2007. As a top-100 recruit, Beason had a incredibly impressive offer sheet including LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma, among others. He still sits at the 84th-best recruit nationally, according to 247.
“The visit was good,” Beason told us in March.