Twenty-six DI colleges want Belleville West football standout. Here’s his shortlist
Belleville West cornerback Nick Hankins Jr. has 26 Division 1 football offers in his pocket, most from Big Ten and SEC schools.
Twenty six programs are hoping to get Hankins’ signature on a letter of intent before this fall.
What most of the schools don ‘t know, however, is that Hankins already has his short list:
“I’ve got Mizzou (Missouri), Illinois and Indiana. I like those three. After those three, it’s Tennessee. That’s four,” Hankins said.
Wisconsin and Stanford also have a shot, but it’ll be tough to beat out one of those top four, at least for now.
One of his top priorities in picking a school, which he expects to do by July, will be how much playing time he can expect as a freshman. He believes, based on visits with his short-list schools, that he might see ample playing time right away.
“Location-wise, it’s not really important to me. I just want to go somewhere where I know I can play, and make an impact right away,” Hankins said. “Those schools said I’d be able to, so that’s what I like to hear.”
Hankins’ recruiting stock shot up after a strong junior year for the Maroons under coach Ken Turner. He’s currently on ESPN’s top-10 list of recruits for 2026, despite playing on a Belleville West team that finished 3-6 in 2024. Hankins’ size (6-foot-1, 190) and speed stood out to scouts, along with his hard-hitting style.
Hankins also is a great student at Belleville West, with a 4.0 GPA last semester and 3.8 overall, and his senior year will mark his third straight as team captain.
“He’s becoming a leader to his fellow teammates and they follow his hard work. He also works hard in the weight room,” Turner said. “He has a strong work ethic. He understands how to prioritize his academics, being coachable, being respectful to his peers and working hard.”
Hankins has also shown talent as a young entrepreneur, especially with his use of social media.
When a coach from a college follows him on his X account - @nickhankins113 – he’ll often send that coach filmed highlights right away. He believes that had led to him receiving offers he might not otherwise have gotten. In today’s “attention” economy, marketing oneself early as an athlete can pay off, especially with name, image and license money and “salary cap” money soon to come to NCAA Division 1 schools.
Hankins doesn’t worry about malaise for his senior year with the Maroons, nor does he worry about injury potentially affecting his college playing future. But the 17-year-old admits that was one of his questions to potential suitors in the interview process.
“I asked, ‘if I do get hurt in my high school season, how would you approach it?’ Would you still want me to come?’” Hankins said. “But I’m just not worried about getting hurt. I’m just worried about making the playoffs this season.”
Hankins started out in football as a running back. But with not much in the way of an offensive line, his father, Nick Sr., told him he stood a much higher chance of getting hurt than if he switched to the defensive backfield. That was sage advice, as Hankins has put more than a few Maroons opponents to the sidelines with his jarring hits.
“He plays the games with strong and physical ability,” Turner said. “He will be motivated because he is leading his fellow athletes. We will see where he wants to take this season’s progress.”
Hankins also plays some as a wide receiver for the Maroons, though it’s clear colleges project him as a cornerback. The player he most looks up to is cornerback Alontae Taylor of the New Orleans Saints, who also starred at Tennessee.
“That’s one reason why I like Tennessee so much, because they got him to the league (NFL),” Hankins said. “I pattern my game after him, because technically we’re the same size.”
Hankins said he plans to visit a few more interested colleges (Oregon might be one), reiterating his intent to decide by early July.
Meantime, he isn’t immodest in talking about the Maroons’ chances for playoff success later this year.
“My senior year, I feel like my team will go as far as I take them,” Hankins said.
