CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois freshman defensive back Marquez Beason suffered a season-ending injury August 13 at practice, head coach Lovie Smith announced Monday. Beason was a consensus four-star recruit out of Duncanville High School (Texas) and Illinois' top-rated high school recruit in the last 10 years.

" Marquez Beason will be having season-ending knee surgery in the future," said head coach Lovie Smith . "It's unfortunate. He was one of the highlights early on. He's going to be a great player."

Beason was the highest-ranked Illini recruit since 2009, ranking No. 91 in the nation by ESPN, No. 99 by 247Sports and No. 108 by Rivals when he signed with Illinois in December 2018. The 2019 Under Armor All-American led Duncanville to the 2018 6A Division 1 state title runner-up finish at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and a 14-1 record.