3-star offensive lineman TJ McMillen commits to Illinois

Wheaton (Ill.) St. Francis interior offensive lineman TJ McMillen has committed to Illinois, he announced Saturday on Twitter.

McMillen is the No. 865 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 86 offensive lineman and the No. 15 junior in the state of Illinois.

“So many coaches have helped me get here: Patriot coaches – thank you for a great foundation & helping me learn to love this game,” McMillen wrote. “St. Francis coaches -Coach McMillen, Coach Doug, Ivan, Jared, Kloss, Griffin, Anderson, Coach X, Coach Todd, Enoch and Marques thank you for making me the man & player I am today! Looking forward to one more ride with you! Fist Coaches, thank you for helping me especially during tough Covid times.

…To Coach Ciombor & Dwyer, thank you for making me a better competitor in baseball & basketball and supporting me. To all my trainers – thank you for keeping me healthy so I can do what I love. And to my teammates, thank you for pushing me & being by my side during this journey. It’s been an honor to battle with you & call you brothers. With that, I’m excited to continue my college football career in my home state at the University of Illinois! #ILL”

The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder chose the Fighting Illini over offers from Purdue, Kansas, Penn State, Texas Tech, Nebraska and nearly two dozen other programs. TJ McMillen becomes Illinois’ third commitment in the 2023 cycle, joining four-star linebacker Kaden Feagin and three-star linebacker Antwon Hayden. All three hail from the state of Illinois.