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The Illini had an off-week after the 24-0 thrashing […]

Omar Payne, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound power forward from Kissimmee, Florida, started his career as a Florida Gator. But things did not go as planned for Payne.

Coming out of high school, Payne was considered as one of the country's top centers in the class of 2019. One recruiting service ranked Payne ahead of the current Illinois All-American center Kofi Cockburn.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema believes local and national […]

The world of recruiting changes every day; you never know what you are going to get from a player, coach, or parent.

Chris Stinson, a 6-foot-5 tight end from West Aurora, Illinois, class of 2022, received an offer from the Fighting Illini. That part is all normal, but this weekend Illinois travels to Penn State for an 11 a.m. kickoff. Stinson said he is going to make that trip to Happy Valley to watch Illinois.

There are recruits, and then there are big-time recruits. The Fighting Illini have put themselves in a great position with one of the nation's top 20 basketball players in the class of 2023.

Kylan Boswell, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound point guard from Chandler, Arizona, Prep School, is originally from Champaign. The family moved to California when Kylan entered his freshman year of high school.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Brad Underwood made it clear why his program chose the option of starting the 2021-22 season with two exhibition games against sub-Division I competition. 

The Illinois fifth-year head coach knows there will be a 594-day gap between the last time this program played a home game in front of fans. Only four players on this current Illinois roster (Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams, Kofi Cockburn and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk) has experience of playing at State Farm Center with thousands of fans in the stands. 

“Just the idea of getting 15,000 (fans) back in here excites me and I’m looking forward to seeing how our guys react to that,” said Underwood said Thursday morning.

IlliniGuys.com Insider Brad Sturdy and Director of Recruiting Kedric Prince have been hard at work getting the inside scoop on the Illini's top targets.  Here are their notes posted earlier today on the IlliniGuys members-only message forums:

Ty Rodgers will take his final visit to Alabama this weekend and should be deciding within 7 to 10 days after that. Obviously, Illinois...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois will be bringing in a kicker previously committed to a service academy in the Football Bowl Subdivision as a preferred walk-on. 

William McManus, one of the best 2022 placekickers in the Eastern region, announced on social media his verbal commitment to Illinois on Wednesday night. The Hun School kicker is being brought into Bret Bielema’s first full recruiting class at Illinois as a preferred walk-on at Illinois.

Former Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu finished the Chicago Bulls’ […]

Illinois sixth-year linebacker Jake Hansen announces the end of […]

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

Oct. 18, 2021

Class: 2023

Why Illinois interest:  

Defensive lineman, 2023, Will Smith from Dublin, Ohio

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Following losses in five of his first seven games as the head football coach at Illinois, Bret Bielema is beginning to publicly address roster issues with his program. 

The Illini first-year head coach was candid Monday in addressing the physical limitations of specific position groups that have obviously been holding the Illini back in its 2-5 start to this 2021 season. 

“As this roster continues to transition, I’ve got to make tough decisions. The players have to make decisions. The roster is going to have to change to get to where we want to be to win a championship,” Bielema said Monday. “I recognized that probably midway through the spring last year, through the summer.”

Two significant leaders of the Illini football program over the last few years, Mike Epstein and Jake Hansen, may have played their last game at Illinois. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October , 2021

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois football fans may have seen Mike Epstein and Jake Hansen play their final career collegiate game. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema clearly indicated in his media conference Monday that the starting quarterback for Illini at Penn State this weekend will likely be Artur Sitkowski.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October , 2021

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Brandon Peters should not be counted on to make the trip for the game at Penn State this weekend because his head coach certainly isn’t doing so.