CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Malik Elzy arrived at Illinois over the weekend and wasted little time getting comfortable around campus. The highly touted four-star receiver attended an NIL event at Papa Del’s Pizza Factory on Saturday, along with several other Illini basketball players. The Chicago Simeon grad is one of the top prospects in the state in the Class of 2023, ranked No. 4 overall, right ahead of Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond grad Kaden Feagin, who is fifth.

“Kaden was doing a good job recruiting me,” Elzy said about Feagin. “He knew that we could change the program, just me and him and now we add the piece together so I’m just ready to get on the field.”

Summer workouts are underway for the Illini, who are coming off an 8-5 season, the best record in 15 years. Elzy is a big piece of the Illinois recruiting class ranked No. 54 in the country, picking the Illini ahead of offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Tennessee, among several dozen others. Now he’s looking to made an immediate impact in a position of need for the Orange and Blue.

“I’m looking to start as a true freshman and prove my point,” Elzy said. “Prove my hard work paid off and be the guy everybody expected me to be.”

Illinois opens the season Sept. 2 hosting Toledo under the lights at Memorial Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. start.