When Palatine junior Tony Balanganayi started playing youth football as a 6-year-old, he was a running back.
Those days are long gone now that he’s 6-4 and 260 pounds.
“I started just growing and eating at the same time,” Balanganayi said.
But those days are not forgotten.
“I miss scoring touchdowns,” Balanganayi said.
Now he’s paving the way for others to score them as one of the state’s top offensive linemen. He’s also the newest member of Illinois’ 2026 recruiting class after committing to coach Bret Bielema and the Illini.
Balanganayi is the No. 21 junior in Illinois, according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. He’s Bielema’s third in-state commit in the cycle along with Lincoln-Way East edge rusher Jacob Alexander (No. 16) and DeKalb athlete Davon Grant (No. 19).
Balanganayi took his official visit to Champaign this month, and “it was just a great experience for me and my family,” he said. “Illinois had trust in me, and I had trust in them.”
He had other Power Four offers from Iowa State, Auburn and Kansas but liked Bielema’s vision for one of the Big Ten’s rising powers.
“His commitment, his plan for the program is just outstanding,” Balanganayi said.
Two older brothers also played college football: Mackenzie at Wisconsin-Whitewater and Basa at Garden City Community College in Kansas. That helped give Balanganayi the confidence that he also could play at the next level.
Football wasn’t his only sport growing up. He also played soccer when he was younger and continues to play basketball at Palatine.
Balanganayi believes that makes him a better football player: “Playing basketball helps my cardio and footwork.”
Now with his recruiting done, he’s looking forward to finishing his high school career on a high note. The Pirates went 8-2 last season before being eliminated by Warren in the Class 8A first round.
“This is going to be a good year,” Balanganayi said. “There’s going to be a lot of improvement.”
As for his own to-do list, he said, “I’ve got to be a more talkative captain for my team.”
More options for Rankin
Morgan Park receiver Nasir Rankin is a consensus top-200 player nationally and the No. 6 Illinois junior, according to 247Sports.com, with more than 20 Power Four football offers. That list includes Illinois and a dozen other Big Ten schools. Now after a breakout season at point guard for the Mustangs, Rankin has added his first Power Four basketball offer from Illinois and Brad Underwood.
Portal news
Two local players are among those heading to new college teams via the transfer portal.
Cornerback John Nestor, a Marist grad, has transferred from Iowa to Minnesota and has two years of eligibility left.
Offensive lineman Jimmy Liston (Fenwick) will have three years of eligibility left after going from Purdue to Utah State.