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By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 4, 2024

Illinois made it two athletic crossover linebackers in two days when Ismael Kante of Iowa Central Community College committed to the Illini the day after Grant Beerman of Lakota West (OH) switched his pledge to Illinois.  Kante originally hails from Brooklyn Park Minnesota, but has made his way South and East all the way to Champaign to finish his amateur football journey.  He chose the Illini over late offers from Kansas State and California along with a few other mid major offers and makes the 19th addition to the Class of 2025.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting, Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst, and Larry Smith - Executive Producer & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

December 4, 2025

It's the most-anticipated day on the football calendar...without a single player putting on pads, no fans having tickets scanned, and no cheerleaders waving pom-poms.

Today is National Signing Day and, for Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, that means officially welcoming in the 20 young men who have previously given verbal pledges but now signing their National Letters of Intent to play for the Fighting Illini beginning in the 2025 season.

Let's take a look at the newest Illini:

Player: Grant Beerman

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 2, 2024

Champaign, IL – Illinois football added a late piece to its 2025 recruiting class Monday night when IlliniGuys learned that Dylan Frechette, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive lineman from West Palm Beach, Florida, decommitted from FIU and made a silent commitment to the Fighting Illini.

Illinois used the bend-but-don’t-break concept on defense to prevent Northwestern’s ball-control philosophy from dominating the game at Wrigley Field.  

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 3, 2024

CHICAGO — The average number of offensive plays run in a game by a Football Bowl Subdivision program this season is around 69-70. The most offensive plays run per game by an FBS program is Texas Tech’s average of 80.6. The simple logic more tempo your offense is run with, the more plays you’re likely to run and the more fatigued the defensive players will get over some time. The Illinois defense beat back this logic on Saturday with one element: Red zone defensive efficiency. 

Northwestern ran 92 offensive plays on Saturday and scored just 28 points. The Wildcats held the ball for 20 minutes and 33 seconds of the 30-minute first half of play and the offensive result of that ball control before halftime was just three offensive points.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Big […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) December 3, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, […]

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

December 3, 2024

The Illinois basketball team is off to a 5-1 start after their win over Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day and now will take the week to prepare for a daunting upcoming schedule and the beginning of Big Ten play. The Illini will travel to Evanston on Friday evening to take on the always tough Northwestern Wildcats before heading home to take on one of the biggest surprises in the country in the #11 Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday in a key matchup of top 25 teams. Then #3 Tennessee comes to town on Saturday December 14th. A week off for finals and the Illini head to St. Louis to face a much improved Missouri team in a rivalry tussle at noon on December 22. All before Christmas.

By IlliniGuys Staff December 2, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois running […]

By IlliniGuys Staff December 2, 2024 The Illinois men's […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)  #19/19 Illinois at […]

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting December […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) December 1, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 1, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Winning continues to pay dividends for the University of Illinois football program, evidenced by the commitment of linebacker Ismael Kante today. Late last week, IlliniGuys reported the possibility of Kante choosing the Illini following his official visit last Tuesday.