Sports

Illinois basketball offers class of 2028 No. 1 prospect AJ Williams

Illinois Fighting Illini On SI · Jul 22, 2026 18:38 · 3 min read

Illinois Basketball Offers Class of 2028 No. 1 Prospect AJ Williams — Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Illini threw their hat in the ring for top-ranked 2028 recruit Williams, an ultra-dynamic player on both ends of the floor

Illinois’ recruiting process is quite complex. Brad Underwood and the Illini put targets through personality testing and processing testing, to name just a few required steps. The system clearly works. But it also results in Illinois rarely coaxing five-star recruits to Champaign (though Will Riley and Quentin Coleman were the rare exceptions).

That's seemingly by design. Underwood has pointed out that the Illini have had only one McDonald’s All-American during his tenure – two-time time transfer Andrej Stojakovic.

Sometimes, though, it’s best not to overthink it. Underwood has earned his recruiting guru label due to his connect rate on non-blue-chip prospects, along with his ability to develop his recruits. But what happens when Illinois lands a five-star? Riley was a one-and-done. And Coleman very well may follow in his footsteps. So that begs another question: What if the Illini landed the top recruit in the country?

Well, perhaps we’ll find out, because Illinois just officially entered the race for the consensus No. 1 prospect in the class of 2028, AJ Williams, per a post on his X account.

Who is 2028 prospect AJ Williams?

Tabbed as the No. 1 recruit across all three major platforms (ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports), Williams is the clear-cut top prospect in the nation. He is a 6-foot-8 wing from Georgia, and he attends Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. He played on the Nike EYBL Circuit at the 17U level – a grade above – this past season with Team CP3.

2028 recruit AJ Williams scouting report

Williams, unsurprisingly, is the full package: a bona fide three-level scorer with great size, length, bounce and a wiry-strong frame, Williams has every tool imaginable.

He’s a solid three-point shooter with a clean stroke (1.7 threes per game on 32.5 percent shooting with Team CP3). But Williams’ midrange game is unstoppable. He elevates tremendously well, which allows him to get to his jumper off at will.

Around the rim, he seeks out contact, bouncing bodies and finishing through or over defenders. As a result, Williams spends a lot of time at the line: He took 7.8 free throws per game with Team CP3. Plus, he can finish with either hand or get to a floater.

Williams is quite active on the offensive glass, is stellar on the defensive boards and also an excellent on-ball defender. There aren’t many – if any – weaknesses present in Williams’ game (though he could stand to cut down on his turnovers).

How would 2028 target AJ Williams fit at Illinois?

As tends to be the case with the top-ranked recruit from any class, Williams will immediately be his program's go-to option when he steps into the college hoops world. If he winds up with the Illini, offensive action would be run primarily through him.

And given Underwood’s penchant for tailoring offenses to his personnel, the Illini could be expected to mold a system specifically to Williams’ skill set.

Be it ball-screen action – which Williams has, at times, shown the ability to be effective in – simple rip-and-gos from the wing, post-ups or transition pushes, he would have the rock in his hands and initiate offense. And although most teams are hesitant to hand the keys over to a freshman, Williams has the ability to demand that responsibility.