When you're looking for the Next Big Thing to anchor your offensive line, you don't pass by Soren Fifer.
It's no wonder, then, that Illinois and coach Bret Bielema on Tuesday extended a formal scholarship offer to Fifer, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound sophomore offensive lineman from Morton (Illinois) High School.
After a great phone call with @BretBielema I am extremely grateful to receive a Division 1 offer from the University of Illinois! @Coach_BMiller @coachPatRyan @23adamoneill pic.twitter.com/pHfQxGEZeK
— Soren Fifer (@SorenFifer) May 6, 2025
Fifer announced the news from his X social media account, as Illinois got the early jump and became the first school to offer the Potters' prodigious class of 2027 left tackle.
It's too soon to know how Fifer will develop and one day measure up against Big Ten competition as a fully formed college player. (Consider: His senior season at the next level could be more than six years away.) But he obviously has the kind of build that can't be taught, and his early results when he plays with good knee-bend and tilt are destructive.
Bielema's preferred offensive style is old-school slobberknocker football, and he'll need more big'uns in the Fifer mold to make it happen at Illinois over time. We'll keep tabs to find out whether it'll be Fifer himself who ultimately signs on with the Illini in the effort to help make it happen.
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