This is indeed good news, and Franklin is a big-time hire.
Don’t forget, though, that Northwestern will be a major competitor for dominance in Comp Sci in the midwest. They’ve recently committed to a $150M investment in this space (which is more than the $100M investment Chicago has made).
https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/eecs/news/articles/2016/major-expansion-computer-science.html
Also, isn’t UIUC the uber-strong comp sci program in the midwest? They’re generally a top 5 or top 10 department here, right?