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By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy New Era Prep)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football program continues to build momentum on the recruiting trail, adding its third late commitment in three days as wide receiver Leslie Mosley Jr. announced his pledge to the Illini.

The recent surge began Sunday with cornerback Caden Considine from Byron, Illinois. It continued with Mount Zion wide receiver Jacob Harvey flipping his commitment from Illinois State on Tuesday. Today, Illinois added Mosley Jr., a 2026 prospect from West Palm Beach, Florida, giving the program another key piece in the upcoming class.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 4. 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Recruiting momentum can shift in an instant, and for Mount Zion wide receiver Jacob Harvey, that moment came when Illinois entered the picture.

Harvey originally planned to attend Illinois State and play for the Redbirds, but a late push from the Illini staff changed the trajectory of his recruitment. Illinois ultimately convinced the in-state standout to stay home and join the program, giving the Illini another late addition to their growing class.

Harvey, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver from Mount Zion High School, becomes the second late addition for Illinois in recent days, joining cornerback Caden Considine of Byron, Illinois.

By Larry Smith - Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

February 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - An 11-game win streak notwithstanding, there is one question on the collective lips of Illini Nation:

When will Kylan Boswell be back?

The senior guard and top Illini defender broke his hand in practice two weeks ago and, while Illinois has kept winning - four victories in a row and now their first top 5 ranking in five years, the Orange and Blue won't reach its peak until he is back on the court.

"We'll have a better idea in the next 24-48 hours (about his return)", says Illinois head coach Brad Underwood. "He still has stitches in his hand, but he's working on his conditioning at a pretty high clip."

The 6-foot-2 Boswell is considered one of the strongest players in the Big Ten - if not in all of college basketball; often tasked with shutting down the opponent's most dangerous wing player and then some. Last February, he kept All-American and future top overall NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg below his 19.2 points per game average despite giving up seven inches to the talented teenager.

While the injury may keep him out of uniform, it isn't keeping Boswell out of the mix. 

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

February 3, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Bret Bielema has always loved tight ends. Wherever he's been, that's been a constant. Barry Lunney has also loved his tight ends at his three college stops. However, the manner in which they've used those tight ends has been anything but consistent. At Wisconsin and Arkansas, Bielema has used tight ends as blockers, but has often had an occasional guy who's a receiver-first as well. Lunney's offenses at Arkansas and UTSA have been receivers first, but guys who can block a little too. Bielema's first OC Tony Petersen filled the roster with blocking tight ends, and Lunney has used primarily blockers since he's arrived too. However, Tip Reiman and Tanner Arkin are gone and there's an opportunity to change things up a bit. What does that mean for 2026? Well, read on.

Newcomers
Officially, there's only one new player at the position: freshman Will Vala.

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

February 2, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini won their 6th Big Ten road game on Sunday afternoon, dismantling the #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers 76-69 with a 2nd half offensive and defensive onslaught that left the Huskers searching for answers.

Trailing 39-33 at the half, Illinois outscored Nebraska 43-30 in the second half behind 23 second half points from Keaton Wagler. Wagler would finish with 28 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals as Illinois moved into a tie with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings at 10-1 and 19-3 overall.

Here’s a Rewind:

These 3 Things

The Ball Had Energy - Nebraska does an excellent job of forcing you to the baseline and then making you kick it to the weak side where they will close out hard. It has obviously been extremely effective for them this season, but the Illini switched in the second half and attacked in the middle getting the ball to the nail and creating a three on two on multiple possessions. When Nebraska changed up their defense, Illinois again made an adjustment and Wagler was able to get downhill and Stojakovic used middle cuts to get openings. But the most important thing may have been the passing that came out of each time they were able to beat a double team. The Tomislav Ivisic tip pass for the Jake Davis 3 may have been the best play of the season. It is fantastic to see a coaching staff and group of players that are able to adjust on the fly and solve the problem that each defense presents no matter what tweaks they may make on that end of the floor.
Defense Locked In 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (Shawnee, […]

By IlliniGuys Staff February 2, 2026 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - […]

Illinois holds Nebraska to just 10 of 24 from two-point field goal range in a 78-69 victory inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 1, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LINCOLN, Neb. — Unlike its first matchup against Nebraska, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and the rest of his coaching staff elected to approach its defensive plan with an objective to not miss the forest because of the trees.

The individual trees still is Nebraska’s unique ways to fill the scoring column up with all kinds of shooters such as Pryce Sandfort, Sam Hoiberg, Braden Frager, Jamarques Lawrence and even with center Rienk Mast. The forest is Nebraska’s final scoring column because of their ability to incorporate easy layups, free throws and points inside the three-point arc to survive the inevitable shooting lull over a 40-minute game.

Underwood left Pinnacle Bank Arena Sunday evening convinced his No. 9 Illini were up for this challenge in this top ten ranked matchup because his players begged the question of whether No. 5 Nebraska could survive a nightmare day from two-point range. Despite a six-point lead and the momentum of a sold-out crowd and a national television audience, Illinois (19-3, 10-1 in Big Ten Conference) found out the answer was Nebraska could not survive as the Illini took home its sixth straight true road win in 78-69 fashion.

By IlliniGuys Staff February 1, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By IlliniGuys Staff February 1, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

After three years calling the defenses at Illinois, Aaron […]

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

February 1, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Illini flew into Lincoln on Saturday for their biggest game of the season, at least this week. They will take on the surprising Nebraska Cornhuskers who continue to defy expectations. In their first meeting, the Illini lost 83-80 on a last second 3 pointer, but Nebraska controlled the game with their physicality and offensive precision for much of the afternoon before a late Illini surge almost stole the game.

Since that outing, Illinois has been the #1 team in the country, winning 10 in a row, while Nebraska finally lost earlier this week in a heartbreaker at Michigan. This should be a good one. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Setting the Stage
#9 Illinois (18-3, 9-1 B1G) at #5Nebraska (20-1, 9-1 B1G)
Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 // 3 p.m. CT // Lincoln, Neb. // Pinnacle Bank Arena
TV: FS1 – Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) & Nick Bahe (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger
National Radio: Westwood One – Nate Gatter (Play-By-Play) & Will Perdue (Analyst)

Notable
*Sunday's game is a White Out and it is the first time the Huskers have hosted a top-10 matchup in Lincoln and just the third top-10 matchup in school history.

*The Illini and Huskers are both 9-1 midway through the Big Ten race, with Sunday's winner moving into a first-place tie with Michigan. Illinois is riding a 10-game win streak, the program's longest since opening the 2012-13 season at 12-0. It is the longest active winning streak in the Big Ten, third among Power Five teams, and seventh nationally. Sunday is a rematch from Dec. 13 in Champaign, when Nebraska won on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, 83-80. That game marks the only loss for the Fighting Illini over the last two months (12-1).

*Illinois heads to Lincoln in search of another top-10 road victory. The Illini have earned six top-10 wins in visiting arenas under Brad Underwood over the last seven seasons, tied with Alabama for most in the nation.

*Following last Saturday's win at No. 4 Purdue, the Fighting Illini enter the matchup at No. 5 Nebraska in search of consecutive road wins against top-5 teams for the first time in school history.

*Illinois is 18-3 overall, owning its best start in 20 years, since opening the 2005-06 season at 20-2.

*The Huskers (20-1, 9-1 B1G) look to bounce back from a 75-72 loss at No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday. Nebraska, which was without two of its top three scorers, led for most of the game and was up 72-69 before the Wolverines closed the game with a 6-0 run to escape with the win. Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort led the Huskers with 20 points apiece while Sam Hoiberg added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Nebraska held Michigan to 1.05 points per possession and forced 19 Wolverine turnovers. The loss snapped Nebraska's 24-game win streak dating back to the 2025 College Basketball Crown and ended the longest win streak in college basketball since Gonzaga won 35 straight games spanning the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

By Larry Smith - Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 31, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Back in November, Illinois was just the second program to offer St. Laurence linebacker Sean Rice, who, since making the switch to his new position, has seen production – and interest – grow in a big way. He caught up with IlliniGuys writer Zeno Jo during the program’s Junior Day earlier in January to talk about his recruitment process.

Since visiting Illinois in November, Rice’s list of Division I offers has grown from two to 11. He attributes that growth to the switch from defensive line to linebacker, which came, in large part, thanks to his coaches. He calls the decision to switch positions “by far” one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

After three years at Illinois, Robby Discher has elected to leave Bret Bielema’s staff to join Ryan Day’s operation at Ohio State.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 31, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When Illinois opens its 2026 Big Ten Conference schedule on Sept. 26 at Ohio State, Robby Discher will be on the sidelines coaching but it will be on the home side.

Discher has agreed to join Ryan Day’s coaching staff to be the Buckeyes special teams coordinator leaving Illini head coach Bret Bielema in need of replacing two position coach spots, one of which is one of his three coordinators who he values on his staff.

Bielema had previously said that he expected all three of the coordinators on his staff to return for the 2026 season but Discher has elected to leave for Ohio State’s operation that is 79-12 overall and 54-5 in the Big Ten in the seven seasons of Day’s leadership. Discher’s hiring in Columbus, Ohio marks the first time Ohio State will have a full-fledged special teams coordinator since it fired Parker Fleming after the 2023 season. Ohio State’s special teams were overseen for the past two seasons by quality control coach Rob Keys and program assistant Gunner Daniel.