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August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — IlliniGuys.com’s Matthew Stevens is handing out his Illini Report Card, assessing Illinois’ performance in several areas.

Here are the grades coming out of the Illini’s' season-opening win over Western Illinois:

Run Offense

The 52-3 victory over Western Illinois served as nothing more than a dress rehearsal for games where this team will be more harshly evaluated. But that reality doesn’t take away from Illinois being 1-0.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — And now the 2025 season can unofficially start.

Yes, Illinois will have a 1-0 overall record when they take their show on the road next weekend to Duke. However, yes, basically the same amount of questions involving practically the same topics still exists following the 52-3 dress rehearsal victory over Western Illinois - a developing Football Championship Subdivision program.

Please don’t get me wrong, dress rehearsals (when you can figure out how to schedule them properly certainly serve a valid purpose and this four-hour run through is no different.

For a program where history likely needs to be forgotten than relied upon, beginning a season in the win column should obviously never be taken for granted. Bret Bielema’s 29th victory as he begins his fifth season as the Illinois head football coach is the perfect way for him to begin the summer’s final holiday weekend into a fall season.

No. 12 Illinois makes it an easy 18-0 all-time […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 29, 2025

WESTERN ILLINOIS AT ILLINOIS

Date/Time/Place: Friday, Aug. 29, 2025: 6:30 p.m. CST, Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 60,670

Series notes: Illinois leads the season series 3-0 with the last meeting being a 34-14 win in 2018. Illinois opens the season at Memorial Stadium for the fifth straight season and the 14th time in the last 15 seasons (2020 at Wisconsin).

TV: Peacock; Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), Michael Martin (sideline), and Steve Kelly (pre/half/post). The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, SiriusXM, the SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com/live.

CHAMPAIGN — So, you want to play the gunner position on the punt team, huh?

Well, here is your assignment: First, run as fast as you can for a 40-45 yard sprint where you can physically either outrun or outphysical your 1-on-1 matchup on the outside. Next, have the instincts while you’re going full speed to get near the opposing team’s returner while keeping your head up the whole time as to observing the invisible circle the rules provide for the returner to make the catch of the punt. Finally, you have to essentially love the idea of physical contact because if win your 1-on-1 battle and time the play up correctly and there’s no fair catch signal, your hit/tackle could be the most violent collision on the field on that given day because of the amount of speed generated from your 40-yard sprint.

“I get it. Trust me, I get it.

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

August 29, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini are hosting a reunion of the 2005 Final Four team, the first time they have had this group back on campus since that magical run that captivated a nation. There are numerous reasons for a delay in honoring what was the greatest season in Illini basketball history. We can debate 89, 05, 01, 24, 84 until we’re blue in the face, but the reality is that the 2005 team made it to the national title game as the top ranked team and went 37-2. No other team has done that.

That was during my first year providing coverage of Illini basketball, but it was a different role and a different world that we lived in back then. Postgame, these guys would come out to meet with their families and the lower bowl fans would line up to grab autographs and interact with them. They were literally rock stars on campus. This was planned; they started having security and a rope to keep the masses at bay, but it was also something that started out organically. Post game dinners with players' families were common. These guys were accessible.

That accessibility paired with their personalities made them special. Well, in addition to their basketball talents, of course. Imagine what Dee Brown would grab in NIL today? There was a vibe around this group, beginning with a run in 2004 to win the Big Ten prior to that magical 2005 run.

For me, it was also much different. In both 2005 and 2006, there were many times I had to

August 29, 2025 The new season is here and […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says only Xanai Scott currently on pace to play more than the four-game threshold in 2025 season to preclude a redshirt year.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — Basically every Division I college football team adheres to a injury prevention protocol during preseason camp practices that requires a lack of full-contact tackling during the month-long preparation. Illinois was no different in August 2025. It is this fact that what scares Illinois defensive coordinator as they approach a season-opening contest against Western Illinois on Friday night (6:30 p.m. CST, Peacock).

“We’ve got to do the best we can at limiting the damage because they have explosive players and the number one thing a defensive coach is going to say bothers him about a Week 1 game is tackling because we just don’t do much of it in the preseason and in college football there’s no preseason games to get you used to four hours of tackle-to-the-ground action,” Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry said. “Nobody does full tackle scrimmaging in the preseason for as long as everybody is going to play a game this weekend.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Peoria pipeline is beginning to run strong once more, as East Peoria forward Quinton Kitt made another trip to Champaign today to visit Illinois. The 6-foot-6 power forward returned to campus after receiving an offer from the Illini earlier this summer.

IlliniGuys caught up with the three-star prospect to get his thoughts on how this visit compared to his first. Peoria boys basketball has been kind to the Illini historically, though currently the only Peoria native suiting up in Champaign is guard Aaliyah Guyton on the women’s side. Illinois is hoping Kitt, a 2027 recruit, could be next.

“I thought the visit went pretty good.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the past four years, much of the attention in college athletics has centered on the transfer portal. While it continues to play an important role in roster building, there is a noticeable shift back toward recruiting and developing high school talent. Illinois is no exception. This year’s roster features several experienced transfers, but one freshman in particular is already creating buzz among those around the program.

Keaton Wagler arrived at Illinois this summer with a strong resume.

By IlliniGuys Staff

(Cover photo courtesy Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette)

Illinois has been blessed with some immensely talented basketball players over the years.  All-Americans, Big Ten Players of the Year, and those who have reached the penultimate level in college hoops.

IlliniGuys co-owners Mike Cagley, Larry Smith, and Brad Sturdy and IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting Kedric Prince all grew up in the 1970s and 80s, so we posed the question - who is the greatest Illini power forward in your lifetime?

That was the debate in this edition of the I On The Illini podcast:

https://illiniguys.com/illiniguys-top-fighting-illini-pfs-in-our-lifetime-4-star-2027-qb-commit-fantastic-four-first-steps-movie-review-491/

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – One of […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

August 26, 2025

Today’s Focus features Illinois women’s guard Erica Finney.

Player Biography: Erica Finney, a 6-foot-0 guard from Sydney, Australia, is ranked as the No. 13 prospect by SportsEngine Global Rankings. She represented New South Wales at the 2024 Australian National Championships, where she averaged 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range.

What we know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

August 25, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Today’s player focus features Illinois men’s guard Jake Davis.

Player Biography: Jake Davis transferred to Illinois from Mercer, becoming the first recruit landed by Illinois assistant coach Tyler Underwood, with help from head coach Brad Underwood.

A 6-foot-6 wing from McCordsville, Ind. (Cathedral), Davis played in 32 games last season for the Illini. During his senior year of high school, he was named Academic All-State and selected to the Indianapolis Supreme 15. He also helped lead Cathedral to the 2022 Indiana Class 4A state championship.

What we know:

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 26, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — The closer we get to the 2025 season beginning, the less interested the folks who work inside the Smith Family Football Complex sound about making their play evaluations complicated.

While nobody surrounding the University of Illinois football program would deny Hudson Clement has found some adversities since arriving in Champaign-Urbana from West Virginia this past spring. Clement himself during the on-campus media day two weeks ago would admit the transition has had setbacks on and off the field including adjustment to the Barry Lunney Jr. offensive scheme and some nagging injuries that hampered not only his confidence but his summer conditioning program before entering preseason practices this month.

And after all of the meetings, practices, film work, conditioning drills and every analytical tool used to evaluate skill position players on a football field, Lunney Jr.’s answer to what he likes most about Clement since his arrival from the transfer portal was a back-to-the-basics formula that practically everybody can and should understand.

Bielema hints that players who were dealing with nagging injuries in preseason camp may be on a play snap count in Friday night’s season opener vs. Western Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 26, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — After he confirmed his star left tackle had returned to the practice field with full medical clearance, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema hinted that J.C. Davis may not be the only player on the roster being intently watched by this coaching staff.

As Bielema stated last week, the Illini head coach said Davis was given full medical clearance to return to practice on Saturday and was on the field for a Monday morning practice just four days before the No. 12 Illini host Western Illinois Friday night (6:30 p.m. CST, Peacock) at Memorial Stadium after being held out of most of the preseason training camp due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

"Today was his most reps by far," Bielema said. "He took all the team (reps) today and didn't have any issues.”