Football

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

May 3, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois football program recently absorbed a significant recruiting loss when one of the most highly decorated quarterback prospects of the Bret Bielema era, Kamden Lopati, switched his commitment to Michigan. Still, the response from the Illini staff has been swift and focused, embracing the “next man up” mentality as they continue to build for the future.

Illinois has already turned the page, extending an offer to 2027 quarterback Dane Weber, a 6-foot, 220-pound signal caller from Chaparral High School in Temecula, California. The offer came earlier this week as the Illini staff made a late but strong push to get involved in Weber’s recruitment.

Illinois men’s golf suffer a 17-shot swing in a 24-hour period to go from a two-shot lead to a 15-shot deficit from round one to two of 2026 Big Ten Championshios. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 2, 2026

Illinois will need a historic comeback to bring home the 2026 Big Ten Championship trophy from Oregon on Sunday. 

Illinois second-year player Freddie Turnell is tied for the lead after the first round of the 2026 Big Ten Championships following a win at the Hoosier Collegiate in Indiana last week.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 2, 2025

If Friday was going to be Freddie Turnell’s most challenging 18 holes in his current collegiate golf career, he can certainly consider that test passed with flying colors. 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) April 30, 2026   […]

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

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 […]

--Indiana will close out their first spring session as […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says “that one is real” when referencing but not officially naming the addition of junior college defensive lineman Deon Williams.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 21, 2026

CHAMPAIGN — In the midst of his Zoom media session with local reporters Tuesday afternoon, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema hinted his program had received a verbal commitment from a junior college defensive lineman.

Bielema was referencing his staff’s anticipation at the arrival of defensive tackle Deon Williams from City College of San Francisco.

“We added another guy through the juco world who will be joining us who I’m really excited about,” Bielema said as he ran down the individual defensive line improvement on Tuesday.