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For the second straight season, Illinois has agreed to […]

One of the major items Illinois athletics director Josh […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 24, 2026

Lamarque (Texas) linebacker Anthony James became Illinois' second linebacker in the Class of 2027 when he committed to the Illini earlier this month. James is a 6'3", 205-pound middle linebacker from the Houston suburbs who has a whole lot in common with the other linebacker commit in his class: Sean Rice. Both are tall linebackers who were incredibly productive in their junior years and can play any position. For his part, James had 134 tackles, 24 for loss, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 4 QB hurries and 1 pass broken up. That's over 10 tackles per game for James, which is impressive for a 10-3 team that had plenty of blowouts. What's more impressive is that Lamarque is not usually a competitive football school, with only one other winning season in the last decade.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

My first thought when I went through James' highlights was: "how is he never blocked"? James seems to flow to the ball on every play while slipping by the blockers as soon as they're occupied.

Wagler becomes the first former Illinois player to be […]

Tyrone Howard Jr. moved up his official visit weekend to Champaign-Urbana and didn’t wait long after that trip to verbally commit to Bret Bielema’s Illini program. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

Tyrone Howard Jr. couldn’t wait to take his official campus visit to Illinois and didn’t wait too much longer after that trip to give his verbal pledge to Bret Bielema’s program. 

The three-star defensive back prospect became the 14th verbal commitment of the Illini’s 2027 recruiting class with his Tuesday afternoon announcement. 

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Co-Owner & Insider/Analyst June […]

ESPN.com NBA reporter Shams Charania has reported former Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu has agreed to sign a five-year contract worth a total of $112 million.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 23, 2026

When his reported deal is finalized, Ayo Dosunmu will have signed the most lucrative contract of any former University of Illinois basketball player in program history.

Dosunmu, 26, has verbally agreed to sign a five-year contract worth a total of $112 million to remain with the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN.com NBA reporter Shams Charania was the first to report this news late Monday evening and included details in this deal that a player option in the fifth season is included in the third NBA contract for the former Illini All-America selection.

Charania reported Monday evening Minnesota, who shipped three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that also involved Chicago earlier in the night, made it a summer priority to sign Dosunmu long term after his tremendous performance in the postseason.

Because Chicago is using cap space to acquire center Nic Claxton, the three-team deal cannot be finalized until July 6, according to ESPN.com salary cap expert Bobby Marks. Therefore, Dosunmu’s deal can not be signed until at least after the trade is announced because he will have the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and the $5.5 million biannual exception to fill out the roster in free agency and had a $33.3 million trade exception created.

Dosunmu, who is represented by Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, emerged as a rotation player for Minnesota after being traded by the Chicago Bulls in February.

Former All-Big Ten Conference guard Kasparas Jakucionis amongst the […]

Three-star receiver Brody Knowles from historic Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas gave his verbal pledge to Illinois on late Monday morning.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 22, 2026

Illinois acquired the verbal commitment from a big-bodied Texan wide receiver who was near the top of the 2027 recruiting wish list of Illini assistant coach Justin Stepp.

Three-star receiver Brody Knowles from historic Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas gave his verbal pledge to Illinois on late Monday morning making the 6-foot-5 and 188-pound target the 13th commitment in the 2027 recruiting class. 

Knowles, who also took official visits to Texas Christian and Arkansas after touring the Champaign-Urbana campus in late April during an Illini spring practice, has been one of the top targets

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

June 22, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois continued its recruiting momentum on back-to-back days, adding another key piece to its 2027 football class when Texas wide receiver Brody Knowles announced his commitment to Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini.

Just one day after landing five-star kicker Ulysses Morales, Bielema and wide receivers coach Justin Stepp headed south and secured a commitment from one of the most sought-after receivers in the country.

Knowles, a three-star prospect from Southlake, Texas, chose Illinois over an impressive list of more than 20 Division I offers.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 21, 2026

Illini fans are surely still smarting from the loss of 4* QB Kamden Lopati, but the good news about the timing of his decommitment was that the Illini still had time to grab another good quarterback. That QB is Sladen Shack.

Shack is a 6'1, 210 pound pro-style player from Brandon, Mississippi who led his team to the 7A title game last year in a football-rich state. He put up 2,586 passing yards and 24 touchdowns against 6 interceptions and a 64.5 completion percentage, and though he didn't have that many rushing yards, he's also athletic enough to run when the opportunity arises.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Shack throws a really pretty ball. I wouldn't say he has a cannon, but at the same time there's no question that his ball gets to the target on time and with good velocity.

Ulysses Morales, a 6-foot and 170-pound kicker with a youth soccer background but currently rated as one of the best field goal kickers in Illinois, has committed to the Illini. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 21,2026

Illinois used a Father’s Day verbal pledge to secure the future of its placekicker spot with a strong-legged prospect from the Chicagoland area. 

Ulysses Morales, a 6-foot and 170-pound kicker with more of a soccer background as a youth athlete but garnered very quick football recruiting momentum by showcasing a strong football kicking leg at both Oak Forest (Ill.) High School and the summer kicking camp scene, became the 12th verbal commitment to the Illini’s 2027 recruiting class on Sunday afternoon. 

Morales was completing his official visit to the Champaign-Urbana campus and gave his commitment to Illinois head coach Bret Bielema before leaving the Smith Center on Sunday morning.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 21, 2026

After successful years in both football and men’s basketball, this offseason feels longer than most. As a way to try and make it go by smoother, IlliniGuys is looking to the past to reflect, pile up some nostalgia, and ask the question: “Where are they now?”

For the first iteration, we’re going back to 2017. It’s head coach Brad Underwood’s first year in Champaign, fresh off a 20-13 season that ended with a trip to the NCAA Tournament with Oklahoma State. Underwood’s first Illini squad that year had ten players averaging more than 10 minutes per game, which contrasts with eight players playing double-digit minutes in the past three seasons.

In the 2017-18 season, the Illini went 14-18, finishing tied for 11th in the Big Ten – the lowest- ever finish with Underwood at the helm. With the table set, here’s a look at where four of the most notable Illini from nine years ago are now.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 20, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

The third person in the Iowa State trio to commit last weekend was edge rusher Ryan Paulsen. Paulsen wasn't an Iowa State commit, but he was a heavy lean before he visited Champaign. Paulsen is a long player who is a good competitor but is an odd positional fit. He listed himself as an offensive tackle recruit heading into this year, and some evaluators have listed him as a defensive end rather than an edge. For the Illini though, he would be an outside linebacker.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

All of my readers know that I am obsessive about comparing players heights and weights to the other players on the field. Recruits often lie about their heights and weights, and though a guy being taller/ heavier might not mean he's a better player, it does matter when you're talking about projecting him to the next level. Well, I had to double check that

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

June 20, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has won its share of recruiting battles under coach Bret Bielema, but one topic has continued to follow the program: keeping the state's top talent at home.

The Illini may have taken a significant step toward changing that narrative with the commitment of four-star wide receiver Bennett Konkey, one of Illinois' premier prospects in the Class of 2027.

Illinois fans and local media agree on one thing: Konkey is a major recruiting win for the program. The Geneva standout chose the Illini over a strong list of suitors that included Indiana, the national champions, Iowa, Wisconsin and Northwestern, giving Bielema and his staff a victory in one of the Midwest's most competitive recruiting battles.