Football

Illinois wide receivers coach Justin Stepp can’t wait for Collin Dixon to emerge as a go-to target in this 2026 offensive scheme.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 14, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — Entering the spring before his fourth season at Illinois, the one thing Illinois wide receivers coach Justin Stepp can guarantee is Collin Dixon is going to consistently be on the football field but it’s the where part that is still being figured out.

“Collin Dixon is an expert in everything of this offense,” Stepp said Monday in a media session inside the Smith Center. “I promise he knows it better than I do. Collin Dixon can play all three spots.”

The positional versatility of being able to play all three of the wide receiver positions inside Barry Lunney Jr.’s 11 personnel offensive scheme has been the key to Dixon, a 6-foot-1 and 215-pound target, getting 23 starts over the last two seasons and he’ll be expected to take one of those starting roles entering the 2026 season.
Dixon, who redshirted his first season at Illinois to learn the offense and get his body physically able to withstand the physicality that Bielema requires out of his wide receivers, has spent the last two seasons being a jack of all trades type receiver in Champaign.

Dixon finished the 2025 campaign with 35 receptions for 548 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the season, which was tied for the team lead. However, instead of trying to get him expertise in one role, Stepp believes Dixon’s versatility is his best weapon to staying on the field as Illinois has brought in several less productive but high upside options from the transfer portal this offseason.

Zeno Jo, IlliniGuys Staff Writer April 13, 2026 CHAMPAIGN, […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

April 8, 2026

The move had been rumored for a while, but the timing of Northern Illinois' safety James Finley to Illinois was a surprise to most Illini fans. Finley did not initially enter the transfer portal, but after NIU head coach Thomas Hammock left the school to take a job with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, Finley took advantage of his late opportunity and moved downstate to Champaign. Illinois was Finley's only visit and it turned into a quick commitment. The slender 6'1, 185 pounder played both corner and safety for the Huskies last year but will be a safety in Champaign.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?
Finley is an elite playmaker with great hands and body control. That much stands out on film. But,

With four starters to replace and a veteran transfer […]

Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman said Monday he felt it was critical importance to have his football and men’s basketball coaches co-exist in the NIL era but work together in union and harmony.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 3, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

INDIANAPOLIS — Bret Bielema still remembers his first phone conversation with Brad Underwood before the Illinois football coach had mentally assured himself the Illini was right for him.

“Brad was one of the first people to reach out to me who was a non-administrator,” Bielema said on Monday before his team’s fourth spring practice. “We had a common friend, who is Greg Lansing, who was the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana State and has been a friend of mine for a long time. He connected (Underwood) before (Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman) initially did.”

Underwood and Bielema already shared some Kansas State connections as Underwood is an alum and played for the Wildcats from 1984–1986 and Bielema was a co-defensive coordinator at KSU under then-head coach Bill Snyder from 2002–2003.

“Brad talked to me about the commitment that Josh had given him during his time at Illinois and (Whitman) thought it would be beneficial to find a football coach that thought and processed things similarly to the way Brad does,” Bielema said. “And I give Brad a lot of credit because when this NIL world first started up, basketball was definitely ahead of our operation by a couple of years. (Underwood) was really good about giving me some inside information."

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he’ll be in attendance on Saturday night when the Illini take on Connecticut in the national semifinal game inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 31, 2026

CHAMPAIGN — Good evening (or morning when you also might be reading this) and welcome to the fourth spring football practice for the Illinois program for the 2026 season in the sixth campaign of Illini head coach Bret Bielema begins in the evening at Gies Memorial Stadium.

Illinois conducted three practices sessions last week (Monday evening, Wednesday morning and Saturday morning) with the first two sessions, per NCAA regulations, in just helmets, jerseys, spider pads (the cushioned shoulder pads worn underneath jerseys and shorts. Tonight was a 30-minute media viewing period that involved no full-team activities with a large portion of that time being team stretching but here’s the quick notes:

Let’s begin this 2026 spring coverage with the obvious: Media was given an updated version of the 2026 roster and the defensive positional changes are noticeable in the sense that Bielema (and newly-hired defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck) has elected to list all defensive players as one of three things (and only one of these three things): Defensive lineman, linebacker and defensive back. The new 3-3-5 scheme is supposed to showcase the versatility of the Illini players and Bielema has said players will be expected to line up at different places on the field from down to down in the 2026 season. The only offensive positional change on the roster is Kaden Feagin going from running back to tight end (more on him later).

Illinois offensive coordinator acknowledges “it’ll be a process” to have a relatively smooth transition this spring trying to replace four offensive line starters from 2025 lineup.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 25, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — The perspective of the difference for the Illinois offensive line from 2025 to this spring can be fully exemplified by the center position.

For the last 37 games over the last three seasons of Illini football, it was assumed and a level of comfort that Josh Kreutz would be on the football in the middle of the offensive line. With Kreutz now out of eligibility and spring practice having begun Monday evening, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said the competition to the replace the All-Big Ten selection included as many as six players.

“There’s a lot of guys, especially on the offensive line, where we’re jockeying around position-wise because we don’t quite know yet if they’re going to be a tackle or a guard or which side of the line they’d feel most comfortable at in their footwork and their eyes,” Bielema said on Monday afternoon.

Illinois opens its first week of spring practice attempting to find

The Illinois Board of Trustees approved the contracts of […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says his 2026 spring roster could look drastically different with several positional changes when it’s released next week.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — For the first time since his first season as the head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bret Bielema’s official release of the spring roster might be the most anticipated moment of the offseason.

As he enters his sixth season leading the Illini football operation, Bielema acknowledged Monday, on the day of his team’s first spring practice, that several positional changes for the 2026 season are still being figured out by coaches and staff members inside the Smith Center.

“To be quite honest, in these first three days, we’ve got some guys who are in positions that are new to them, new to us and we have to see exactly where they are before we’ll make an initial announcement of how they’ll be lining up,” Bielema said Monday afternoon. “When you get the roster, you’ll see three (defensive positions) defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs and that’s it.”

Illinois conducted its first spring practice on Monday night and will return to the Memorial Stadium filed on Wednesday morning. The first two spring practices, per NCAA regulations, must be without shoulder pads where the players are just in helmets and cushioned spider pads underneath their jerseys. All of Illinois’ 15 spring practice sessions will be closed to the public.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Georgia State Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Among the many new faces that Illinois welcomed through the transfer portal, Georgia State transfer Deuce Fillmore provided Illini fans with not just a look into how the team’s new defensive coordinator will run things on his side of the ball, but also a unique view on his recruitment.

Fillmore started his career at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and while his second stop at Georgia State was sure to provide a step up in competition, he described the step up to Illinois as an even bigger one.

“You see a lot of big guys,” Fillmore said after a big exhale. “You don’t really see them from where I’m at, but the competition’s different, the energy’s different… everything’s just different.”

The decision to come to Illinois from the transfer portal was an easy one for Fillmore, but that came in large part thanks to someone who isn’t on the staff anymore.

“Whew, the portal’s a lot, but as soon as I got here, I knew I just wanted to come here,” Fillmore said. “I met Coach (Corey) Parker, Coach Henry, sadly he ain’t here no more, but they just made it a whole experience.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – While the spotlight shines on March Madness across college basketball, the Illinois football staff is preparing for an important stretch on the recruiting trail, with visitors set to arrive in Champaign and potential offers on the horizon.

One name to watch is 2028 prospect Gregory Bess-Henning II, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver and defensive back from Mundelein, Illinois. Bess-Henning II is scheduled to visit Illinois on March 30 and is optimistic about what could come from the trip.

We caught up with the talented underclassman to get the latest on his recruitment. Heading into the visit, he is hopeful that an offer will follow.

"I don't have an offer from Illinois, but I'll probably get one on my visit," Bess-Henning II said.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has elected to not […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy FCSNation.com)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On the true opening day of March Madness, the Illinois football staff kept fans on edge with another key roster addition, continuing to build toward the 2026 season with urgency and purpose.

Just minutes ago, Illinois secured a commitment from Illinois State wide receiver Eddie Kasper, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior from Wheaton, Illinois, who brings experience and production to the Illini offense.

Kasper appeared in 41 games over four seasons with Illinois State, recording 137 receptions for nearly 1,200 yards and three touchdowns. His consistency and reliability made him a steady target throughout his Redbirds career.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 18, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

You didn't think I'd skip over these guys did you? Of course not. I love special teams almost as much as I love line play. Besides, this is about as interesting an offseason in Illini special teams as we're ever going to get! There's competition at every major job, a new coach, and don't forget the impact of the new enormous video board!

Newcomers
I have to start with switch punter Jack Gray. We don't really know what we're going to be getting with Gray because as of this moment all you can see is videos from Pro Kick Australia and a ranking of 6th in the composite punter ratings for the Class of 2026. Even if you're evaluating by rankings though, they're are all over the place on Gray so its anyone's guess how he'll turn out. However, he's a fun guy to think about kicking at Illinois because of the ambipedal aspect (ambidextrous applies to hands, ambipedal applies to feet). Tennessee punter Jackson Ross is the only other ambipedal punter I've ever heard of, and though he's better with his right foot, he takes advantage of his special skill to kick with his left foot on situations where he can see that the return team has overcommitted to one side. As of right now the scuttlebutt is that he's for real and will be a factor at Illinois, but Memorial Stadium's wind tunnel has made or ruined many careers, and there's no way to prepare for it, and of course there's no substitute for in-game reps.

If Ethan Moczulski leaves and then comes back, is he really a newcomer? Well, don't think too hard about that because I decided to write about him here anyway. The good news with Moczulski is that he has a huge leg which allowed him to set the Illini record with a 63 yard field goal in 2024. The bad news is that he hasn't been consistent with that leg.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

Illinois got a second big early addition to the Class of 2027 when Evanston Township defensive back Justin Johnson committed to the Illini over at least six other Big Ten offers as well as interest from around the country.  Johnson is a really big defensive back prospect who could fit all over the defensive backfield.  However, as you'll see, its rather hard to see where he fits into the Illini future because he played for a rough Evanston Township program that went 6-12 in the last two years.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Johnson is clearly a Big Ten football player.  His athletic ability stands out even against 8A competition and in case you were doubtful,