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Illinois signs former Georgia State and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College cornerback Damaryion ‘Deuce’ Fillmore for his final year of eligibility in 2026.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 9, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has found a veteran cornerback in the transfer portal to provide depth in their defensive secondary in form of Damaryion Fillmore.

Fillmore, who goes by ‘Deuce’ and is listed 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, started in all 12 games this past season for Georgia State where he recorded 39 tackles and three pass breakups. Fillmore arrived at Georgia State after playing two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which has a relationship with Illini coaches after signing former Illini offensive lineman Zy Crisler - who started 36 games for Illinois from 2022-24.

Fillmore joins East Texas A&M cornerback Lavon Williams as defensive backs that Illinois has signed out of the transfer portal in this offseason window from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16. Fillmore is expected to compete for the starting cornerback spot opposite of Jaheim Clarke and/or the nickel spot with returning defensive back Tanner Heckel and junior college signee Jakwon Morris.

Fillmore had 37 tackles and three interceptions in 10 games played at Gulf Coast Community College, which is what got him several FBS offers from Sun Belt Conference, Conference USA and Mid-American Conference schools.

Fillmore’s film at Georgia State in the 2025 season had to

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 9, 2026

Now that we're getting some clarity on who's coming and going in the portal, It finally seems safe to start writing about the newcomers. The first player to commit to Illinois from the portal this year is a guy who I really like. The staff made Lavon Williams of East Texas A&M a priority and he was on campus as soon as the starting gun for portal season went off. Williams came to East Texas A&M as a corner/safety and though he had virtually no interest coming out of high school, he's turned himself into a player that several P4 teams wanted out of the portal. In fact, East Texas A&M wasn't even in Division I when Williams committed, so you could argue that Williams is jumping two levels during his college career.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 9, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema and his staff have been aggressive in this year’s portal, which officially opened Jan. 2 and will close next Friday and roughly 3,000 players nationwide are searching for a new destination for the 2026 season.

Teams participating in the College Football Playoff national championship game will receive an extension from Jan. 20th through Jan. 24.

By IlliniGuys Staff January 8, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Former Florida International wide receiver Alex Perry is likely expected to find a regular role in the Illini’s three-WR offense in 2026 with expected returnees Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 8, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois coaching and personnel staff is hopeful they’ve found another highly productive wide receiver from a non-power conference program.

Alex Perry has verbally agreed to play his fifth and final season of college football at Illinois as a graduate transfer. Perry, a first-team All-Conference USA selection, will be expected to find an immediate role this spring with projected returning starters Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement. Perry led FIU in receptions (56), yards (840) and touchdowns (nine) in Willie Simmons’ first season with the Golden Panthers program that became bowl eligible for the first time since 2019. 

Perry, a 6-foot-5 and 210-pound target, scored touchdowns in five consecutive weeks to end the regular season and the Port Charlotte, Fla., native led Conference USA in receiving yards (706) and receiving touchdowns (8) in conference play. His nine receiving touchdowns in the 2025 season are tied second-most in a season in FIU program history. In an offense that ranked just 87th amongst 136 Football Bowl Subdivision program, Perry had 14 receptions of 20 yards or more in the 2025 season. 

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

January 8, 2026

The Illini are back at home in the friendly confines of the State Farm Center to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their 2nd Big Ten home game of the season. The Illini are a 21.5 point favorite over the struggling Scarlet Knights, who have never won in Champaign.

Setting the Stage
#16 Illinois (11-3, 2-1 B1G) vs. Rutgers (8-7, 1-3 B1G)
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 // 7:30 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) & Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
No. 16 Illinois carries a three-game win streak into a Thursday night Big Ten matchup vs. Rutgers at State Farm Center. Tipoff between the Fighting Illini and the Scarlet Knights is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.

*Rutgers is Illinois' lone home game in an 18-day period spanning the new year. The Illini captured a 90-55 home win vs. Southern on Dec. 29, then defeated Penn State, 73-65, at The Palestra in Philadelphia in their last outing on Saturday. Following this week's home tilt vs. the Scarlet Knights, the Illini will play back-to-back Big Ten road games − at #19 Iowa on Sunday and at Northwestern on Jan. 14 − before returning to State Farm Center Jan. 17 vs. Minnesota.

25-year-old edge rusher/linebacker William Holmes has agreed to transfer to Illinois after producing 45 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks at Utah State in 2025.

By Matt Stevens - Football Writer/Analyst

January 8, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The mantra of Illinois head coach Bret Bielema to get old and stay old with your player roster has now been taken to a new level inside the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign after the acquisition of William Holmes.

Holmes, who is a 25-year-old finishing just his second year of organized football, has signed a contract to play linebacker at Illinois for the 2026 season after completing two years at Utah State. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound athlete produced 45 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in his first season playing for Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall in a 2025 campaign that ended with the Aggies winning six regular season games and qualifying for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Ohio State guard and 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jaloni Cambridge drops a career-high 41 points to help No. 19 Buckeyes leave Champaign-Urbana with a win.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 8, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Shauna Green looked down the printed box score satisfied her team won so many statistical categories and then, she got to Jaloni Cambridge’s stat line.

That’s when all the color seemed to drain from the face from the fourth-year Illinois head coach’s face.

In a 78-69 home loss, the first home loss of the 2025-26 season for the Illini, to the No. 19 team in the country, it was one player’s offense that essentially covered up everything else Illinois (13-3, 3-2 in Big Ten Conference) did well on Wednesday.

No matter the statistic and you name it - because Green did - points in the paint, offensive rebounds, second chance points and bench points and Illinois won them. Cambridge made sure her 39-minute effort made all of those statistical wins by the Illini basically irrelevant.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 7, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy FIBA)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois men’s basketball program will host scoring wing Boyuan Zhang for an official visit when the Illini take on Rutgers at 7:30 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network Thursday night, IlliniGuys has learned.

Zhang is a 6-foot-7 left-handed wing from Garden Grove, California, and Veritas Prep high school. Illinois associate head coach Orlando Antigua is serving as the lead recruiter. Illinois is looking to add additional scoring on the wing for next season, and Zhang fits that need.

IlliniGuys caught up with Zhang

By IlliniGuys Staff January 7, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Ty Robinson will be using his sixth and final year of eligibility to hopeful gamble on the idea that the 2026 campaign will be his most healthy and productive in college. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 7, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Ball State Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois coaches and personnel staff have found themselves taking a flier on a 6-foot-4 receiver with an extensive injury history. 

Ball State transfer wide receiver Ty Robinson has given a verbal pledge to Illinois for the 2026 season, which will be his sixth and last year of  eligibility. 

Robinson, who had 11 receptions for 113 yards in the 2025 season for Ball State, will be arriving at Illinois as a graduate transfer after spending his first two seasons at Colorado under then-head coach Karl Dorrell and then his last three seasons at Ball State.  

Illinois vs. #19 Ohio State Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 7, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy UTRGV Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The days of watching favorite college players stay in one place for four years are quickly fading. Roster movement has become the norm across the country, and Illinois is no exception.

Three years ago, Illinois coach Bret Bielema took pride in maintaining roster stability with minimal turnover. That landscape has shifted. Like programs nationwide, the Illini have seen players enter the transfer portal while others look to bring their talents to Champaign and compete at Gies Memorial Stadium next season.

Illinois has already secured what it believes will be the centerpiece of its offense next season in quarterback Katin Houser. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound transfer from East Carolina is expected to lead the Illini under center, and his arrival has added momentum to Illinois’ efforts in reshaping its offense.

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular January 6, 2025 It's […]

Former Florida Atlantic wide receiver and kick returner Jayshon Platt is hopeful to be the deep threat in Barry Lunney Jr’s Illinois offensive scheme in the 2026 season. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Florida Atlantic Press/Keira Arimenta

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In his final collegiate season, Jayshon Platt is about to find out if his track speed can translate against Big Ten Conference defenses. 

The former Florida Atlantic wide receiver and kick return specialist has elected to join a competitive wide receiver room at Illinois after producing 46 receptions for 720 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Owls program, along with three rushes for 36 yards and a touchdown. CBS Sports college football reporter Matt Zenitz and 247Sports.com/CBS Sports reporter Chris Hummer were the first to report this news Monday evening. 

Platt, who will turn 22 years old on Jan. 12, is hopeful he can find the opportunity of deep throws from the Illini’s new transfer portal quarterback Katin Houser starting with spring practices in a few months.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver had a breakout campaign in 2025 as FAU was in the midst of a first-year head coaching operation led by former Texas Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zach Kittley’s ‘Air Raid’ offensive style. The FAU was normally in a wide-open passing attack 10 personnel (four receivers, one tailback and no tight end) allowing more opportunities for outside receivers such as Platt.