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Illinois enters the Big Ten Championships this week in Oregon as the top seed but somewhat battling a high standard built their own history of dominance within the league.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 28, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

URBANA — At 60 years old and in his 26th season in charge of the Illinois men’s golf program, Mike Small is at the point every coach strives for and then is immediately frightened when they get there.

After having led Illinois to the NCAA Championships in 16 of the last 17 years and 18 times overall in the last 25 years (no championship was held in 2020) and seeing the Illini to 13 conference team titles since 2009, Small’s program is the dominant favorite in this week’s Big Ten Championships once again.

“I think the history of this program and how we’ve almost dominated the conference for the better part of a decade and a half goes without saying on our team because our guys know it from the recruiting process because that’s why they came here,” Small said to local reporters on Tuesday. “I do think there’s some stress involved with that to be honest with you because they feel like they have to uphold their end of the bargain.”

April 28, 2026

Legendary Illinois men's golf coach Mike Small is in his 25th season at his alma mater, establishing himself as one of the top coaches in the country while elevating the Illini to one of the nation's premier programs.
This week, they fly to the Portland, Oregon area for this weekend's Big Ten Championships. Illinois is once again the favorite, grabbing the field's number one seed as they take aim at their 14th conference title in the past 17 years. 

IlliniGuys' co-founder and editor Larry Smith caught up with coach Small earlier this week:

Larry Smith: Coach, it's Big Ten Championship time. What does this mean for you, when you get to this time of year?

Mike Small: Well, this, we call this our postseason. Larry. We have our fall season, our spring season, and our championship season, and this is our post-championship season. These are the events that are important to us, these are the ones that people remember, these are the ones that go on the record books, and they give rings out for these things, so it's always an important thing for us. I mean, we've had success at them for a number of years now, and it's something that we've built to throughout the year, so it's something that doesn't surprise the guys, it's something that doesn't just come up on them and, 'oh my gosh, it's here'. It's something we've prepared for and something that's been a staple of our program.

LS: This is something I know is very important to you, winning 13 of the last 16 Big Ten Championships. Talking with you a number of times after the Big Ten Championship, I can tell, the 3 misses bother you maybe more than the 13 wins that you've had in that. Is that a fair assessment?

MS: As time goes on, you learn to appreciate the good ones. But yeah, as a competitor, and I think all coaches would say that when they're that close, and they're that nip and nip and tuck for everything, you know, when you do finish second, it kind of stings a little more, maybe. Yeah, 13 wins in 3 seconds, our last 16 years, and that means we're in the game

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 27, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men’s and women’s basketball programs appear to be finished with the 2026 transfer portal, at least for now, though surprises have not been uncommon.

With the dust settled and speculation surrounding 5-foot-11 do-it-all guard Divine Bourrage now behind, a deeper look reveals a story that goes beyond rankings, recruiting buzz, and assumptions. For any reporter, journalist, or recruiting analyst, it serves as a reminder: never assume, even when you think you know things.

Bourrage drew major attention as a high-profile prospect, with some of the nation’s top women’s programs, including multiple Final Four teams, pursuing her in high school. It would be easy to assume her path followed a typical blueprint. But her mother, Leanne Binion, felt their journey was anything but typical.

When told that coaches believed Bourrage had WNBA talent, Binion responded candidly.

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

April 27, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Naperville Sun)

The Shoe circuit kicked off this past weekend with the Adidas 3SSB and the Nike EYBL rolling and numerous Illinois commitments and key targets were in action and performed extremely well. Here’s a recap of the weekend that saw some big performances:

Illinois 2027 commitment Mason Martin was an under the radar kid when he committed to Illinois, and is still ranked as a 3-star recruit with his best offer besides Illinois coming from St. Louis. But you will now see national pundits talking about him after his weekend in California.

By IlliniGuys Staff April 26, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

One of the major needs in this 2026 draft for the New England Patriots was pass rushing help and they filled that requirement by trading up for Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 26, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

For a team that won 14 regular season games under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, earned the No. 2 seed in the American Football Conference in the National Football League playoffs and advanced all the way to Super Bowl 60, one would think the New England Patriots defense was creating massive amounts of havoc in the opposing backfields.

The reality is Vrabel, a defensive-minded head coach, and his defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr would likely be the first people to admit New England had a pass rush problem in 2025. The Patriots were near the bottom of the NFL in quarterback sacks, quarterback hurries and quarterback knockdowns leading to them being in the top five of 32 NFL defenses in percentage of blitzes called per game in order to create any backfield disruption at all.

So, after trading up in the first round on Thursday to draft some protection for quarterback Drake Maye, in the form of Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, with the 28th overall pick in the first round, New England general manager Eliot Wolf elected to do the same thing on Friday night

By IlliniGuys Staff April 25, 2026 MINNEAPOLIS -- Ayo […]

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer goes undrafted in 2026 NFL Draft. Illini still haven’t had a quarterback selected in NFL draft since Kurt Kittner in 2002. Altmyer signed a free agent tryout deal with the Detroit Lions.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 26, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The run of Illini quarterbacks not hearing their name called during the NFL Draft continues.

Record-setting Illinois passer Luke Altmyer not among one of the 257 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Amongst the seven rounds of the draft over the last three days, 10 quarterbacks were selected by NFL teams including three from Big Ten Conference schools (Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall, Penn State’s Drew Allar at No. 76 overall and Athan Kaliakmanis, who played at both Minnesota and Rutgers, at 223rd overall). 

Shortly after the draft concluded on Saturday evening, IlliniGuys.com was able to confirm what NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero first reported that Altmyer had signed a free agent tryout deal with Detroit Lions. The Lions did not select a quarterback in the 2026 draft and its depth chart currently includes just two quarterbacks under contract - 31-year-old projected starter Jared Goff and 33-year-old projected backup Teddy Bridgewater. 

Illinois safety Miles Scott is selected in the seventh […]

Illinois two-year left tackle starter J.C. Davis was selected […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema sees two-year left tackle starter J.C. Davis likely kicking inside at guard once he’s drafted into a National Football League franchise.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 25, 2026

While Bret Bielema can’t possibly predict when and where his two-year starting left tackle will be drafted today, he has a prediction that it won’t be to play the position he mastered at Illinois.

The six-year Illini head coach, who signed Davis out of the transfer portal from New Mexico prior to the 2024 season and then sold Davis in his Oakland Calif., home on Christmas Eve to return to Illinois for the 2025 campaign, believes Davis will be a interior offensive lineman in the National Football League.

“I thought (Davis’ return to Illinois) could improve his draft status. And there's no doubt in my mind we've done that,” Bielema said in a Zoom session with local media on Tuesday.

The New England Patriots traded up into the second […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Class of 2028 offensive tackle Joseph Frierdich, a standout from Carbondale, received a memorable scholarship offer from Bret Bielema during a recent visit to Illinois Fighting Illini football, and the moment left him stunned.

“On my visit on April 8, right in the middle of practice, coach Bielema walked up to me and my father. We were just talking football in general, and out of nowhere, coach said, 'I want to offer you a full-ride scholarship to play here.' I was so shocked at first and didn’t catch what he just told us,” Frierdich told IlliniGuys.

The 6-foot-7, 260-pound lineman has already drawn significant attention on the recruiting trail. His film shows really good technique, great lateral movement, and an ability to use his hands effectively, especially in space, traits that have made him one of the more intriguing young offensive tackles in his class.

Gesky among several Illini players hoping to hear their name called over the next three days in Pittsburgh during the 2026 NFL Draft.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 23, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Josh Gesky has high hopes of joining a select group of athletes this weekend.

The former Illinois offensive guard is not only hoping to hear his name called at some point in Pittsburgh during the 2026 National Football League Draft but by doing so, he’ll be one of the few professional football players who have been diagnosed as Type I diabetic.

Gesky, who graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in public health, was diagnosed at six years old with Type I diabetes, a chronic disorder that causes the pancreas to not produce enough the hormone of insulin needed to allow sugar to enter the cells inside your blood for humans to produce the proper amount of energy.

Moreland is the second executive in the last four […]