Illinois lands first 2025 pledge in four-star PG Jeremiah Fears

Illinois grabbed its first commitment of the 2025 cycle on Monday, when four-star guard Jeremiah Fears announced his commitment to the Illini. Head coach Brad Underwood and his staff beat out fellow finalists Michigan, Kansas, and Providence to land the AZ Compass Prep junior. Below, Rivals explores what Illinois is getting in Fears as well as what it means for the bigger picture.

WHAT ILLINOIS IS GETTING

The younger brother of Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears, Jeremiah Fears is, at least at this point, a score-first point guard that can fill it up from all over and has no problem creating shots for himself. He’s all of 6-foot-3 with long arms, which allow him to play a little bigger than his listed height on the defensive end. He’s progressing as a facilitator but is asked to do a lot from a scoring standpoint on his AZ Compass Team, so you only get to see flashes of his floor vision and passing ability during the high school season. He’s at his best when he avoids taking bad shots and plays within the offense, but he’s definitely capable of taking over a game as a scorer on his best shooting days. Fears oozes potential and physical tools and could become much more than a scorer in the year ahead if he continues to refine his ball-handling and distribution skills.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE ILLINI

Fears in head coach Brad Underwood’s first commit of the 2025 cycle, and there are definitely worse ways to start than landing a volume scoring guard. The Illini will likely still be in the market for a primary ball-handler in this class, and their options are vast. It’s a bit early in the cycle to decipher how the dominos may fall on the commitment front, but Underwood’s program is off to a nice start this season, which will certainly work in its favor.