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Illinois hits 12 three-pointers in a 106-94 win over […]

Former Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant participated in positional drills at Pro Day workout in front of scouts from 30 NFL teams.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Pat Bryant has elected to stand on the merit of his workout times and numbers from the National Football League Scouting Combine two weeks ago in Indianapolis.

Bryant, a 2024 first-team All-Big Ten Conference by The Associated Press, declined the opportunity to do any of the track and field activities during the Illinois Pro Day workouts inside the indoor facility of the Smith Family Football Complex.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed Thursday his coaching staff has filed for a waiver with the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to get TeRah Edwards eligible to play college football in 2025.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN  — Paperwork has been filed to the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to get TeRah Edwards another year of eligibility in college football. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed the news on Thursday during his Illini Pro Day media session inside the Smith Family Football Complex. IlliniGuys.com has attempted to contact an NCAA Eligibility Center spokesperson on the nature of the waiver filed by Illinois but NCAA personnel typically refrain from public comments before an eligibility case has been ruled upon. 

“(Edwards) has declared for the NFL Draft but we still have an appeal pending out for him. We’re holding out hope for a ‘Hail Mary’ there at the end to get him back with us,” Bielema said Thursday. “It’s fully underway and with the NCAA and how it all works. I just wished it all had a reason. TeRah played five games that he should’ve been able to redshirt in.” 

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

March 13, 2025

It’s tourney time! The Illini are back in action on the 2nd day of the Big Ten tournament when they will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Indianapolis. The Hawkeyes took care of Ohio State on Wednesday and likely knocked them to the wrong side of the bubble while extending the Fran McCaffrey era a little bit longer.

Here’s a look at the matchup.

Setting the Stage

2025 Big Ten Tournament // Indianapolis, Ind. // Gainbridge Fieldhouse
#24 Illinois (20-11) vs. 15 seed Iowa (17-15)
Thursday, March 13 // 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET)
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler (Play-By-Play), Robbie Hummel (Analyst), Andy Katz (Sideline)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas National Radio: Compass Media Networks – Gregg Daniels (Play-By-Play), Danny Green Satellite Radio: SiriusXM – 84

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — When preseason camp is being conducted in August, Illinois is more than likely to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in 17 years.

And it’s not like coaches and players are walking around the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign looking for ways to downplay the preseason excitement and hype surrounding arguably the most important prove-it season of Illini football since the 2008 campaign that followed a Rose Bowl appearance.

By Larry Smith - Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys […]

The addition of cornerbacks coach Corey Parker and a new set of leadership personnel in the Illini secondary led to a much more organized and disciplined positional group in 2024.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 12, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Whatever buttons were pushed to make the Illinois secondary much less penalized in the 2024 season certainly was successful.

According to Pro Football Focus data, the three starting cornerbacks at Illinois (Tahveon Nicholson, Xavier Scott and Tyler Strain) were the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 10 most penalized players at their position in the Big Ten Conference in a 2023 season where they finished with a disappointing 5-7 record thanks to underperforming defensive execution. Enter defensive backs coach Corey Parker and his loud but detailed style of coaching and PFF data suggested Illinois didn’t have a single defensive back in the Top 10 in its positional group in penalties last season. The Illini finished the 2024 campaign just eighth in the 18-team Big Ten Conference in penalty yardage, just ahead of Big Ten Championship Game participants Oregon and Penn State, just a single season after being 13th in a 14-team league in penalty yards.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 12, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Good morning and welcome to the first 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.

It was a 45-minute viewing period that involved players in just helmets (no shoulder pads and just shorts on the lower body) with no full-team activities with only a short time being team stretching but here’s the quick notes:

At least 16 Illinois players will begin the spring practice session on the inactive list.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 11, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois will not be conducting a spring football game in 2025.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed on Tuesday during a local media conference that his program is going to have a intrasquad scrimmage game inside Memorial Stadium. The Illini are joining programs such as Nebraska and Texas to publicly cancel their annual spring game traditions for various and different reasons.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– The 2025 All-Big […]

March 11, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The largest Big Ten tournament ever tips off tomorrow and the league's first postseason men's basketball event that's not all-inclusive.

The field expands to 15 teams to make room for newcomers Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington joining the Big Ten. However, the new format means the lowest three teams in the regular season standings will not be invited. Washington, Penn State, and Nebraska, which finished the season on a five-game losing streak, will all stay at home.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) EVANSTON, Ill. – Lucas Byrd became […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst March 10, […]

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 10, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – As the men’s and women’s college basketball seasons wind down, coaches must immediately begin building their rosters for the next season.

Brad Sturdy, Illini Insider & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 9, 2025

The Illini finally won a close game by making plays down the stretch. They used a 13-1 run in the final 3 minutes to close out Purdue 88-80 as they continue to show growth since the loss to Duke at Madison Square Garden.