4 days ago
Four-Star Corner Nick Hankins Dismisses Mizzou for Border-State Rival
Four-Star Corner Nick Hankins Dismisses Mizzou for Border-State Rival originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Missouri Tigers have suffered another recruiting loss, as four-star cornerback Nick Hankins has committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini. This marks the second four-star recruit Mizzou has dropped in the past week after losing running back recruit Ryan Estrada to Minnesota.
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After his announcement, Hankins had a message for other Illinois recruits, calling for them to stay home as well.
"I want to start a wave. Everybody goes to Mizzou, everybody goes out of state. I want everybody from Illinois to stay in Illinois."
From Belleville, Illinois, Hankins is ranked as the No. 352 player in the country and ranked No. 28 among all cornerbacks. He's also No. 10 in the state of Illinois.
Hankins seemed to be deciding between Mizzou, Illinois, Ole Miss, Iowa and Tennessee. Illinois and Missouri appeared to be the front runners, but Hankins ultimately chose to stay home.
Hankins visited Columbia for his first official visits between May 30 and June 1, but it was pretty clear after his visit to Illinois from June 6-8 that he would choose the Illini instead.
Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz© Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Mizzou fans were quick to criticize Hankins' decision, arguing that an SEC school is a better option to develop.
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"I can't hate on his reasoning; I want Missouri kids to stay in Missouri. But Mizzou is the better program," one user wrote.
"Poor choice young man. MIZ will get you to the NFL with SEC exposure and playing real college ball. Illinois will get you to the United Football League," another wrote.
Other than picking up four-star linebacker Keenan Harris, who has some experience at safety, the Tigers haven't gained much traction in adding to their secondary. However, four-star safety Jayden McGregory and three-stars Tony Forney and Jowell Combay are all still up for grabs and could help to change that.
Related: Mizzou Football's Top 25 Games Since 2000: No. 21-25
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
