Lincoln-Way East offensive lineman Mason Halliman, a member of the Griffins’ Class of 2027, committed over the weekend to continue his career at the University of Illinois.

Halliman – who measures at 6 foot, 5 inches, 280 pounds – had a multitude of high-profile offers to choose from, many from Power Four schools. In the end, he chose to stay in-state with the Fighting Illini.

Under head coach Bret Bielema, Illinois is coming off back-to-back winning seasons ending in bowl-game victories. Last year’s Illini went 9-4, won the Music City Bowl and finished ranked 25th in the Coaches Poll.

As a junior, Halliman led the way for a prolific Lincoln-Way East offense as the Griffins posted a 9-3 record and advanced to the Class 8A quarterfinals for the ninth consecutive postseason.

He is rated as a three-star recruit, and in an X (formerly Twitter) post following the announcement of his decision wrote simply, “I’m Home!!” with blue and orange hearts, the colors of the Fighting Illini.

As for Saturday’s announcement, Halliman posted, “I want to thank God, my family, coaches, and everyone who supported me through this process. After a lot of thought, I’m proud to announce that I am committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini football!”