Football

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 18, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of the headline prospects in Illinois football’s 2026 recruiting class is quarterback Michael Clayton II, who committed to the Illini in November 2024 and never looked back.

Several IlliniGuys writers and analysts were asked to identify players who could rise to the top in this class, and the conversation consistently returned to Clayton, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound signal caller from Edison High School in Miami, Florida.

We caught up with Clayton for a one-on-one Q&A to discuss signing day, his next steps, and even the unique celebrity of his high school coach, Luther Campbell, the former rapper known as Luke Skyywalker from 2 Live Crew.

Kedric: How does it feel to finally be signed and knowing what's ahead of you?

Michael: I’ve known I wanted

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By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Add Matthew Bailey to the list of the Illinois players who will not be participating in the upcoming Music City Bowl game.

Approximately an hour before the opening tip of the Illinois men’s basketball conference home opener versus Nebraska, Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema confirmed Saturday in his local media conference inside State Farm Center that Bailey will not be part of the Music City Bowl roster. Bielema detailed that Bailey elected to have surgery a few days after the regular season finale win over Northwestern to repair an upper body injury sustained in the middle of the 2025 campaign.

Since the Illini’s 42-25 loss at Washington, Bailey has been seen wearing a cast/club on his right hand but Bielema said the injury was “from something prior to this year” despite the fourth-year safety was never added to the conference-mandated availability report due to the injury.

“Last season we had seven postseason shoulder surgeries and this year there has been one already,” Bielema said Saturday referencing Bailey’s surgery last month was on his shoulder.

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By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 12, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The state of Florida continues to be a reliable recruiting pipeline for Illinois football, producing a steady flow of talent that has helped shape the program’s future. One of the additions is Kenyon Alston, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound wide receiver from Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando. Alston is fully committed to joining his future teammates and his future school as early as January.

We spoke with Alston about signing day, his goals, and what drew him to Illinois.

While acknowledging assistant coaches could be poached by other programs, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he won’t force change before the bowl game.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 11, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois coaching staff will remain completely intact throughout the two-week preparation for the Music City Bowl game.

Illinois fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema confirmed he didn’t anticipate making changes to his coaching staff before the completion of the postseason game against Tennessee on Dec. 30 (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPN) in Nashville. In the on-campus Music City Bowl media conference inside the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign, Bielema declined to confirm if he’d be forcing change to his coaching staff for the upcoming 2026 season but the Illini head coach seemed more concerned on members of his coaching staff being poached this month as the carousel of head coaching changes in the sport could result in Illini staff members being pursued by recent openings.

“I haven't really had many conversations with our staff," Bielema said on Sunday. “I just know that when you hire good coaches, people that there's going to be things that happen.

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Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he’s conducted a one-on-one meeting with Altmyer and exchanged text messages with Altmyer’s mother about the Music City Bowl.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 7, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Despite doing everything in his power to not spoil an upcoming announcement from the player himself, Bret Bielema did everything but confirm he will have his three-year starting quarterback for one more game.

In the on-campus Music City Bowl acceptance media conference inside the Smith Family Football Complex on Sunday afternoon, Bielema confirmed he has conducted one-on-one meetings with players out of eligibility after this postseason game, including starting quarterback Luke Altmyer. Bielema also said Sunday he received a text message from Altmyer’s mother, Betsy, that “half of Mississippi will be there” and based off all of these elements, the expectation of Bielema and the rest of the Illini coaching staff is for Luke Altmyer to make one more start in the 2025 Music City Bowl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZbl6qJsCGU    

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