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By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

April 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women's basketball program will need to add key pieces to next season’s roster. While it remains unclear which direction head coach Shauna Green and her staff will take, it’s likely they will prioritize scoring, size, and athleticism.

Here are a few notable players who are eyeing Illinois to possibly help fill the scoring void left by last year’s great senior class.

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The NCAA transfer portal has been active to start the 2025 cycle, but now it’s time to take a deep breath as the official Dead Period begins from April 3-10.

What exactly is the Dead Period? (No in-person contact is allowed on or off campus, though phone calls and emails are still permitted.)

1. Late last night, 12:30 a.m., to be exact, I received information from a NEW credible source. Let’s start with

TeRah Edwards college football career is officially over after the NCAA Eligibility Center ruled the Illini defensive tackle does not qualify for a waiver exemption for the upcoming 2025 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The waiver request submitted by the University of Illinois compliance office on behalf of defensive lineman TeRah Edwards was denied by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

In a university statement released Thursday morning, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed his office received the news of Edwards’ waiver appeal denial “last week”. Bielema said on March 13 during his Illini Pro Day media session inside the Smith Family Football Complex that paperwork has been filed to the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to potentially get Edwards another year of eligibility in college football.

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

April 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

Much of the transfer portal talk always revolves on who is leaving and who is coming in, but the Illini got much needed news this week as a couple of veterans announced their return. Forward Ty Rodgers and Guard Kylan Boswell announced on their social media accounts that they would be returning for the 2025-26 season and it seems like Tomislav Ivisic is the next key returnee that the Illini have built around. 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

April 2, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois sophomore guard Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn told IlliniGuys this morning that he plans to enter the transfer portal.

Gibbs-Lawhorn was the only participant from last year’s Elite Eight run to play this season after starting guard Ty Rodgers elected to redshirt hours prior to the season opener. However, Rodgers decision to remain with the program for the 2025-26 season means he will be the lone holdover from that 29-win team two seasons ago.

Gibbs-Lawhorn, a four-star recruit in the 2023 from Lafayette, Ind., attended Word of God Christian Academy (N.C.). He originally committed to Purdue before switching to Illinois on September 30, 2022, for several reasons, according to his father, Ben Gibbs.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

April 2, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – In the midst of hosting former Iowa Hawkeye Josh Dix and planning to host his running mate Pryce Sandfort later in the week, one of the most important jobs as an assistant coach is scouting other teams, running practice, and other duties as assigned. However, in today's world, recruiting may take precedence over them all.

After being a reserve guard in his first two […]

After being a starter on the Illini’s 2024 Elite […]

By Kedric Prince

April 1, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – IlliniGuys is where you need to be for Portal Kombat. My colleagues Brad Sturdy and Matt Stevens will work hard to keep you (Illini Nation) up to date with the most current news regarding Illinois athletics.

Let's get started with what I learned today in the transfer world.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Of all of the players who may opt to leave the Illinois basketball program this spring, the abrupt departure of Morez Johnson Jr. stings the most.

Illini Nation has been waiting since Christmas 2021 for the Chicago teen to arrive on campus. He committed during his sophomore season at St. Rita and continued to develop into an interior beast on both ends. Johnson was known for his athleticism and agility, playing with a passion that would land him as Illinois' Mr. Basketball last season.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green hopes her program can build off the first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years with an injection of youth and nationally-relevant talent ready to contribute immediately.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 31, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — The way Illinois head coach Shauna Green builds her basketball roster isn’t necessarily a champion of a ‘get old, stay old’ transfer portal era offseason theory of her sport.

With the second round loss to Texas in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, which followed the Illini’s first NCAA win in 25 years, Green and her staff knew an era of Illini women’s basketball was ending and a transition everybody in the Ubben Basketball Complex had been trying to push back as long as possible was coming.

March 31, 2025

It was a wild weekend for Illini Nation as fans across the globe withstood the shock of freshman power forward Morez Johnson Jr. entering the transfer portal.

Our sources tell us that Illinois upped its NIL offer significantly, but the Chicago native decided he can find a better fit - and perhaps a bigger bag - elsewhere.

Hence the world of Portal Kombat, where nothing is set in stone - even a player saying they want to return to the team next season - until the NIL contract is signed on the dotted line.

So...next up! IlliniGuys.com Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy has an update on who the coaches are targeting for next season. Granted, recruiting is fluid and fast-moving, so this could be outdated next hour. So be sure to click the button above and sign up for IlliniGuys.com to get the most up-to-date recruiting news immediately inside our premium message boards!

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 30, 2015

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Former Rock Island standout Cole Rusk was an exceptional wide receiver in high school, but due to his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, he has developed into a major asset as a tight end.

Hopefully, he'll be able to do that for Illini Offensive Coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.'s system this fall.

Illinois doesn’t have many healthy safeties for the 2025 spring season is a major reason Bret Bielema doesn’t wish to participate in a intra-squad scrimmage due to depth concerns.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 30, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — With all the offseason surgeries affecting the defensive backs, Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry doesn’t have a robust list of healthy bodies this spring in his safeties and nickel cornerbacks meeting room.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Good evening and welcome to the fifth spring football practice for the Illinois program for the 2025 season in the fifth campaign of Illini head coach Bret Bielema begins in the early hours at Memorial Stadium.