Illinois Football Recruiting Spotlight - Joey Okla/Derek Jensen - Arrowhead HS - Wisconsin
2022 Illinois verbal commitment Joey Okla has been valuable in his unwavering loyalty to Bret Bielema’s rebuilding project and an active recruiter to future classes.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
October 16, 2021
HARTLAND, Wis. -- In a strangely emotional Friday night rivalry win, the past, present and future for Joey Okla all came to the forefront.
Freshmen Likely To See Playing Time In Final Five Regular Season Games
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Before the start of the 2018 season, Division I college football coaches were put in the uncomfortable position of either playing freshmen before they were physically, mentally and emotionally ready or having them sit an entire year and hope they didn’t get frustrated enough to transfer.
Enter the NCAA’s Division I Council’s four-game limit rule. Now, coaching staffs, such as Illinois under first-year head coach Bret Bielema, have four games of leeway to evaluate a first-year player before ending the possibility of counting his season as a redshirt and giving him four more years of eligibility.
With Illinois already seven games into this 2021 campaign, Bielema’s staff will likely try to find evaluation spots for certain freshmen on the roster that are teetering between the developmental portion and the travel portion of the Illini roster.
Recruiting: 2023 Hot Board
It’s extremely early for the class of 2023, so right now the list of prospects is very long. The Ilini have had numerous players on campus this fall with more on the way. Here’s a look at many of the 2023 options we have a read on at this point.
Recruiting: Davius Loury has flown under the radar, but not anymore
Davius Loury is a 6-foot-7, 205-pound power forward from Chicago who Illinois fans will get to know a lot more about in the coming weeks.
Loury was injured, according to sources, so he is not considered nationally ranked by the recruiting gurus, but several of those sites have missed the boat with Loury. A number of DI coaches could care less about a ranking system. They know talent when they see it; that is why he has a big-time list of DI offers in recent months: LSU, Purdue, Oklahoma and Nebraska to go along with the offer from his home state university.
Decisions Looming On Freshmen For Bielema’s Illini Coaching Staff
Decisions need to be made on several young players on this 2021 roster before this coaching staff gets a chance to make evaluations.
Even with a four-game window before canceling a possible redshirt season, Illinois first-year head coach Bret Bielema knows he can’t attempt to rush the development of young talent at the risk of stunting their growth and confidence.
“It’s little things with each guy, to be quite honest,” Bielema said. “Sometimes you can tell by their body language they just feel really confident, feel really good and you see them do things repeatedly during practice you’re like, ‘OK, this might become gameday reality.’”
Recruiting: One of the nation’s best visits Illinois
Taylor is a throwback from Kevin Garnett, Magic Johnson, and former Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu. The tall multi-talented wing can do it all: he can put it on the floor like a guard, he is able to abuse opponents on the block, and he is amazing in the open court. When you see a player his size, naturally, one would think of sticking him in the post. My honest assessment: Taylor might be better at a guard spot.
Rumor was the plan for Taylor to never to see a college floor, but he put that to rest last Saturday morning.
Illini Film Review: Art Sitkowski’s First Dirty Dozen Incompletions
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Sturdy's Roster Notes
For the better part of two decades, IlliniGuys.com Insider Brad Sturdy has been the very best in the business! Delivering insider info and bringing you analysis that you simply won't find anywhere else.
As we embark on a new Illini basketball season, Brad leads our IlliniGuys.com team of writers and analysts as we chronicle the Orange and Blue from next Saturday's first exhibition play to March and the tournament season and beyond.
Here is his first take after watching the team during its first public workout:
Expect Some Changes in Bielema’s Illini After This Embarrassing Loss
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said after the 24-0 loss to Wisconsin that the entire roster needs to be evaluated heading into this open week.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
October 11, 2021
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Don’t expect much to be the same regarding Bret Bielema’s football program at the University of Illinois following this new debacle.
Matt Stevens Top 25 Ballot: We Have A New Number One
IlliniGuys.com football beat writer/analyst Matt Stevens does not have […]
Mike Cagley's Heat Checks and Hail Marys - Finding Out Where the Illinois Football Program Is
Mike Cagley October 10, 2021 The beginning of Wisconsin […]
Not a Passing Grade: Illini QB Play Lacking in 24-0 Blowout Loss
Illinois passing offense had its worst afternoon in several years in a humbling, lopsided loss to Bret Bielema’s former employer, Wisconsin on Saturday.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
October 10, 2021
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A completed forward pass normally takes a trio of basic concepts: protection, an accurate throw and a catch. Following the 24-0 loss to Wisconsin Saturday, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema admitted his team isn’t very proficient in any of those three.
Illinois Open Practice Report: Illini Dazzle Live Home Fans
Several interesting items came to the forefront as Illini performed in front of live home fans for the first time in over a year.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
October 8, 2021
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- For the first time in 580 days, the Illinois men’s basketball program performed in State Farm Center in front of home fans.
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