Illinois football is adding another member of the Cox family to its program. Three-star Miami (Fla.) Northwestern Class of 2025 defensive back Tywan Cox, the younger brother of Illini cornerback Torrie Cox Jr., on Monday announced he has flipped his commitment from USF to Illinois following an official visit to the UI campus.
- 247Sports ranks Cox the No. 68 safety prospect in the Class of 2025 and the No. 96 senior prospect in Florida.
- Torrie Cox Jr. transferred from Ohio to Illinois and has started five games this season for the Illini, totaling 11 tackles and two interceptions.
- Tywan Cox is the fifth defensive back commitment for Illinois in the Class of 2025, joining three-star Illinois safety Andre Lovett, three-star Florida cornerback Robert Jones, three-star Michigan safety Desmond Straughton and three-star Florida defensive back Xanai Scott.
- Cox is the son of former Pittsburgh star and NFL player Torrie Cox, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and was a defensive back/kick returner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2004-2009.
Why it matters: Torrie and Tywan Cox will be the sixth set of brothers to play for Bielema at Illinois, joining Chase and Sydney Brown, Jake and Lane Hansen, Johnny and Jershaun Newton, Xavier and Xanai Scott and Josh and James Kreutz. By adding three younger brothers of current Illini in the Class of 2025 (Xanai Scott, Jershaun Newton and Tywan Cox), Bielema clearly believes in bloodlines.
Cox said before his official visit: “What stands out most to me [at Illinois] is the atmosphere. When I was at the game last week against Michigan, the crowd was very energized and its just felt good to be there.”
How he fits: Cox gives Illinois more speed and tenacity in the defensive backfield. He’s not the longest player, but he’s bigger than his older brother. And his speed is legit. He ran a 10.79-second 100-meter dash in March — his twin sister, Tyra, is a star track athlete too — and he plays with tenacity, similar to current Illini sophomore Jaheim Clarke. Cox projects to play nickel or outside corner, and while he has a lot of experienced players in front of him on the depth chart, he has the skill set to play special teams early in his career — and he has the speed, and bloodlines, to be a returner…