Illinois beats Arizona for Peach State OL Jakai Clark

This time two weeks ago, Arizona was the favorite to land Jakai Clark.

Then he and his family visited Illinois for the first time and that made things very confusing for the center out of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson.

After speaking with many close to him, Clark made the decision to commit to the Illini. He made the decision a few days ago and has now gone public with his decision.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

"It was a tough decision and I went back and forth, but I figured out Illinois was the right school for me," said Clark. "Before I took my official visit to Illinois last week, I was leaning hard towards Arizona. That visit changed things for me.

"There was not one thing about the visits, but just the visit in general. The coaches, the feeling there, the environment — it all stood out.

"Both Arizona and Illinois offered everything I was looking for, so it was a tough decision. I just got back from the visit, talked to family, coaches and people close to me and made my decision. I feel good about it now. I am done and I am committed to Illinois.

"I told coach Luke Butkus (offensive line) Thursday and he was happy, but he told me he would be much more excited when I went public about my decision.

"I was planning to commit last Wednesday and it was going to be Arizona. I had to take more time after that visit and it is now Illinois. I really liked it there. They had a great crowd, the offer the opportunity to play early and the vibe there was different in a good way."

RIVALS REACTION

Clark is a football player. He is a true center and a leader up front. This is a good pick up for Illinois and Clark will come in ready to compete. He plays at a top program in Georgia, his head coach is a former SEC offensive lineman and he is a tough young man. The center position is not flashy, but very important and Clark will give Lovie Smith and his staff a real option here in the years ahead.