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Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman suggests that modern-day college athletics has a nationwide public credibility problem and needs massive innovation.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 28, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois’ athletics director isn’t committed to the idea of the NCAA being the national governing body going forward. 

“It’s going to be very different and there’s two parallel issues that we all know at some point will intersect,” Whitman said. “One, what is the future of the NCAA? What is the future of the Power Five Conferences? The second is what are the benefits? What are we providing to our student-athletes? We need to find more ways to financially benefit our student-athletes.” 

In his two-hour, annual roundtable session with local reporters Tuesday, Whitman echoed his support for the ideas stated directly from the Supreme Court in the recent 9-0 ruling against the NCAA as a governing body in the Alston case and the continually rising revenues from media deals. 

With the current era of college athletics including the legality of name, image and likeness deals along with player movement via the transfer portal, Whitman stated Tuesday he isn’t convinced his school’s athletics department should be governed by the NCAA office in Indianapolis any longer. 

Former Illinois star and two-time Big Ten Conference Champion Nick Hardy is playing his best career golf following a major wrist injury. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 28, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Golf Digest)

Nick Hardy proved last week he’s not interested in having the 2022 U.S. Open be his career-defining moment but yet an introduction to what he hopes is a long professional golf career. 

One week after being in contention to win throughout all four days of a major championship and finished tied for 14th place in front of a worldwide audience at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, Hardy didn’t have time to let any memories sink in. 

The goal for the 26-year-old, who is playing his best golf coming off a major wrist injury, was to show the trait Illinois head coach Mike Small preaches to each and every one of his players during their time in Champaign: consistency. Hardy did just that at TPC River Highlands, just outside of Hartford, Conn., as he posted his first ever Top 10 finish on the PGA Tour (tied for eighth) and now sees his world golf ranking at its highest point (235th) in nearly calendar year.  

Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman clearly doesn’t want to currently lose the one thing that gives his football program a shot at national relevancy - being in the Western Division of the Big Ten.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 27, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- When asked if he had a stance on whether the Big Ten Conference eliminating football divisions, Josh Whitman chose six words and one line. 

“Not one I want to share,” the Illinois athletics director said on June 2 at the grand opening of Atkins Golf Club in Urbana.

The six-word comment was another sign of Whitman showing his strong talent of being strategically dismissive of a simple question. It was also a sign that Illinois is on losing side of a fight that will be stopped by technical knockout sooner than later. It was impossible to believe the Illinois athletics director doesn’t have an opinion, so “no” was off the table. He couldn’t have said “yes I do, no comment” because Whitman knew the reporters, including yours truly who asked the question, believed he’d just spent spring meetings in Arizona, less than two weeks prior, discussing such a topic. 

In case you have been living under a rock for several months, divisions in Power Five Conference college football are going into the extinct category along with ties, the triple option offense and coaches wearing suits on sidelines. 

A few weeks after attending a showcase camp at Illinois and less than 48 hours from his official weekend weekend in Champaign, 2023 tight end prospect Nathan Guinn is committed to the Illini.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 27, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- One year ago, Nathan Guinn was an overlooked defensive edge rusher.  Fast forward to today and he's a prep athlete who parlayed a productive month of June to become a tight end committed to a Big Ten program.

Guinn, a 2023 prospect who stands 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, elected to give a verbal commitment to Illinois just a few days removed from his official visit weekend in Champaign. 

The Vero Beach (Fla.) High School product traveled over 1,000 miles to attend the first Illini Showcase Camp on June 11 and it was fairly obvious from the first few minutes of drill work at the camp why Guinn was willing to make this gamble.

June 27, 2022

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

(Cover photo courtesy Envergure)

On Monday, the Illini added French big man Zacharie Perrin to their class of 2022. The 6 10 Center joins an already top 10 class and provides a much-needed frontcourt boost to a team that lost All-American Kofi Cockburn.

Perrin committed on Friday to Illini head coach Brad Underwood and lead recruiter Geoff Alexander and ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony announced the commitment on Monday. Perrin chose the Illini over offers from Texas and UCLA. 

The 6-foot-10 Perrin will be on the Illinois campus in August after playing in the European Championships July 30 to Aug 4. Perrin will turn 18 on August 30th after his arrival.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

June 27th, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IliniGuys)

The class of 2023 continues to be good to Illinois. Today they received a verbal commitment from speedster Teremun Lott, a 6-foot-0 170-pound wide receiver from West Palm Beach, Florida, who has decided the Midwest is where he wants to play college football.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

June 27, 2022

(Photos courtesy IlliniGuys)

Back in the late 80s, Kendall Gill played on the Illinois team known as the Flyin’ Illini. Gill was a second team All-American and is arguably one of the best Illini of all time.

After a great 13-year career in the NBA, Kendall now works for NBC Sports in Chicago as an analyst for the Chicago Bulls.

Illini great Kendall Gill (front row, second from right) watches his son Phoenix play in the Riverside Brookfield Shootout earlier this month. (Courtesy IlliniGuys)

When Kendall arrived at Illinois as a long 6-foot-5 freshman; very athletic but struggled like most freshmen. But - even though the thought crossed his mind several times - he never quit.

Now Kendall is the proud father of a rising high school sophomore.   Phoenix Gill from Chicago Saint Ignatius High School is looking to carve out his own niche in the basketball world. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound combo guard starts on a team with another potential DI prospect is 6-foot-7, 215-pound power forward Richard Barron. 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 26, 2022

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty type of person? 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

June 26, 2022

Illinois assistant basketball coach Chester Fraizier is very selective when it comes to recruiting. He’s not a star guy - not a guy who gets caught up in where a player is ranked, but more of a fit and talent. The former Illini point-guard trusts his own judgment when it comes to finding the “right” guy.

When Frazier first got the job at Illinois, he challenged me with a player who was a former five-star recruit coming out of high school versus a three star candidate. Frazier took the freshman stats over both players who started for their teams, but deleted the picture.  Frazier then said, “KP, tell me if you were coaching Illinois which player would you take?” I struck out, because I took the player with the better stats.  Turns out he was the three-star prospect. 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 17, 2022

The second of four commitments in the big weekend recruiting bonanza was Edge player Pat Farrell.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

June 25, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Some may not want to admit it, but Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema is recruiting at a high-rate for Illinois standards.

The Fighting Illini always seemed to be behind the 8-ball in this category. They have yet to play a game in year two but Illinois is now being talked about with the other teams in the Big Ten's West Division.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

June 24, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Prep Girls Hoops)

Makaela Quimby, a 5-foot-9 2023 combo guard out of McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland. She will make an official visit this weekend to Illinois.

IlliniGuys caught up with the dynamic guard before arriving in Champaign to update her recruitment and where Illinois stands in the big picture.

For the first time in school history, Illinois men’s […]

Illinois All-American center Kofi Cockburn was not one of […]

2023 three-star OLB/DE commit Calvin Smith detailed that beyond football, what made Illinois stand apart from his finalists was the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 23, 2022

(Cover photo Calvin Smith's Twitter page)

Calvin Smith has a plan beyond sports and after today’s announcement, the newest verbal commitment to the Illinois football program began to put that plan into action. 

Smith, who is the 12th verbal pledge to the Illini’s 2023 recruiting class, announced his decision to attend Illinois by penning a special edition article to the USA Today Network detailing the factors involved in his recruitment. 

Last season, Smith had 62 total tackles and tied for his team’s lead with 29 solo tackles last season at Ocoee (Fla.) High School - which is approximately 13 miles east of Orlando. Smith, who has also been recorded with a 4.6-second time in the 40-yard-dash and a 35-inch vertical leap, was also second on his team with 10 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. 

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge rusher will be expected to be a factor on the field for Illinois outside linebacker coach Kevin Kane, who was Smith’s primary recruiter along with defensive backs coach Aaron Henry and wide receivers coach George McDonald, as his speed, body type and athleticism all fit within what Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters wants in his 3-4 scheme.