Football

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By IlliniGuys Staff December 30, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Illinois will need to slow down one of the nation’s fastest tempo offenses in order to achieve back-to-back seasons of bowl wins for the first time since 2011.

ILLINOIS vs. TENNESSEE

Records: Illinois 8-4, 4-4 in Big Ten; Tennessee 8-4, 4-4 in Southeastern Conference

Date/Time/Place: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025: 4:30p.m. CST, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Surface: Matrix Helix Turf

Capacity: 69,143

ODDS: Tennessee by 2

Series notes: Illinois will play in the Music City Bowl for the first time in program history and the Illini will play Tennessee for the first time in program history. Illinois is back in a bowl game in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2010-11. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is 1-0 all-time against Tennessee after getting a 24-20 victory in 2015 in Knoxville while Bielema was the Arkansas head coach.
Bielema is looking to tie the program record for bowl wins (two) by an Illini head coach, while also trying to become the first coach in program history to win a bowl game in back-to-back seasons. Illinois is bowl eligible three times in a four-year span for the first time since 1991-94.

TV: ESPN; Tom Hart (play-by-play); Jordan Rodgers (color analyst) and Cole Cubelic (sideline reporter)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (play-by-play); Carey Davis (color analyst); Kevin Mitchell (color analyst); Michael Martin (sideline) and Steve Kelly (pre/half/post). The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, SiriusXM 84, the SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com/live.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 30, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Aaron Henry had two words to describe the matchup against Tennessee’s ‘Veer and Shoot’ offense.

“It’s going to be a chess match,” Henry said.

December 30, 2025 The Illini face a more talented […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and defensive coordinator Aaron Henry don’t believe Illinois can rely on one player to fill the void of inactive defensive starters Gabe Jacas and Matthew Bailey.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 29, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Unlike the Music City Bowl replacement for left tackle J.C. Davis, the Illinois coaching staff realizes it may take more than one person to replace each of the spots for its two lost defensive starters.

When it comes to finding a left tackle replacement for Davis, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and Illini offensive line coach Bart Miller both know one player is likely to be in that spot for 60-80 plays on Tuesday as offensive linemen aren’t typically subbed out.

Bielema confirmed Monday what he’d been hinting at for several days that Nathan Knapik will get his first career start on Tuesday in the 2025 Music City Bowl.

How this 2025 Music City Bowl matchup will reunite […]

Illinois equipment staff put together the logos, stripes, stickers, facemasks and radio communication for the Illini’s all-navy helmets inside the team hotel in Nashville this week.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 29, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The reviews are in, at least from the Illinois football players, the all-blue uniforms from head to toe that the Illini will debut for the first time in the Bret Bielema era is already a rousing success.

For the first time since Bielema was introduced as the Illinois head coach in Dec. 2020, Illinois players will wear a navy helmet Tuesday afternoon in the 2025 Music City Bowl matchup against Tennessee (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPN). The navy helmet with the orange script ‘Illinois’ logo is a new look for the Illini program and the opposite effect of the orange helmet with the navy script ‘Illinois’ logo they were on New Year’s Eve for the 2024 Citrus Bowl win over South Carolina.

“Those helmets have got to stick around, I think,” Illinois fifth-year linebacker Dylan Rosiek said on Sunday. “Hopefully get the first win here and then continue the momentum next year with the navy helmets.”

The all-blue look is an obvious counter to Tennessee’s shade of orange as Illini fans coming to Nissan Stadium Tuesday for the program’s first ever participation in the Music City Bowl.

Illinois starting quarterback Luke Altmyer’s Music City Bowl opponent, Tennessee, led the charge of what he calls “behind the scenes” recruitment to get him in the transfer portal.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Of course, Luke Altmyer’s opponent in his final collegiate career would have to be Tennessee.

The three-year starter is just days away from leading Illinois into a game where representatives of his Music City Bowl opponent, the Tennessee Volunteers, offered up everything they could to get him in the transfer portal. And this brand of irony is not lost on anybody who lived through late April.

“It’s an interesting thing man,” Altmyer said. “Yeah, a lot of behind the scenes stuff happened, that’s for sure.”

Multiple sources confirmed to IlliniGuys.com months ago that

Hank Beatty’s Citrus Bowl performance propelled him to a successful 2025 and some point to Beatty’s former backup at the slot - Collin Dixon - as that next candidate in this Music City Bowl.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — If you track rise of Hank Beatty’s performance from the fourth play of the 2024 Citrus Bowl, you’d see a stock that is still on an upward progression.

With Illinois down 3-0 in the Citrus Bowl to then-No. 14 South Carolina in Orlando, Beatty took a slant route 59 yards down to the 1-yard-line where he ran past two Southeastern Conference defensive backs to propel him to a then-career-high 90 receiving yards in the win. Beatty also had a remarkable, highlight reel worthy third-down catch in the fourth quarter, which teammates and coaches said Saturday they still rank as the Rochester native’s best moment in an Illini jersey, that helped secure the program’s momentum-starting moment that led to a preseason Top 15 ranking to start the 2025 season.

“While I still give him junk about not getting into the end zone on that slant route in the bowl that he nearly took to the house, you could see a different kind of Hank Beatty from that moment on,” Illinois wide receiver coach Justin Stepp said Saturday after the Illini’s second bowl practice at Vanderbilt.

By Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — College football recruiting never truly stops. The programs that stay ahead are the ones planning years in advance, and Illinois has firmly entered that category.

What once felt like a long-term objective under Bret Bielema has now become standard operating procedure. In his first season in Champaign, recruiting two or three years ahead was more projection than expectation.

Now, Illinois is actively building future classes as a program that has established itself within the Big Ten and gained national relevance.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema hints to reporters Saturday […]

Tennessee may likely showcasing two freshman starters in its secondary for the 2025 Music City Bowl matchup against Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27. 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The biggest Tennessee mystery for this Music City Bowl game will likely be solved when the Volunteers first line up on defense.

Tennessee will be without starting cornerback Colton Hood after the 20-year-old declared for the 2026 National Football League Draft and opted out participating in this bowl game after earning All-Southeastern Conference second team honors from The Associated Press and a All-SEC third team selection from the league’s coaches. The Georgia native, who spent one season at Tennessee after previous stops at Auburn and Colorado, made 50 tackles and made one interception, which the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist returned for a touchdown this season against Mississippi State.

The trio of rushing production for Illinois consisting of Kaden Feagin, Aidan Laughery and Ca'Lil Valentine are all expected to return for the Illini in the 2026 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — All three tailbacks leading the Illinois rushing attack this season are expected to return to Bret Bielema’s Illini program for the 2026 campaign.

Aidan Laughery, who received three starts including starts in the first two games of the 2025 season, confirmed in his post-practice availability to IlliniGuys.com he would not be considering the transfer portal after concluding his season-ending 1-on-1 meetings with Illini coaches before the holiday break.

Laughery, who rushed for 67 yards on 16 attempts nearly a year ago in the Citrus Bowl win over then-No. 14 South Carolina, is expecting to use this postseason game a springboard for himself and an Illini rushing attack that finished 13th in a 18-team Big Ten Conference this season.

Laughery said Saturday he’s fully healthy for the first time this season after playing through a recurring ankle injury from the 45-19 win at Duke on Sept. 6 and forced the Gibson City native to miss four games this season and be limited to only 62 carries in 2025 campaign.

Illinois may turn to a likely 2026 starter ot a younger player who hasn’t experienced any game in an Illini jersey to replace J.C. Davis vs. Tennessee in Music City Bowl.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics; the player depicted is not Brandon Henderson)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Illinois coaching staff has been using this opt-out by J.C. Davis to rotate in several options at left tackle during bowl preparation practices.

Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. confirmed that both Knapik brothers who transferred in nearly a year ago from Idaho have seen first-team reps at the left tackle position for this 2025 Music City Bowl matchup versus Tennessee on Dec. 30 (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPN). Illinois has begun on-site, closed bowl practices inside Vanderbilt’s newly renovated FirstBank Stadium on the West End of Nashville with veteran players being back in full action after being given limited reps on the on-site practices inside the Smith Family Football Complex before the team gave the players off for the Christmas holiday.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

While the thick of the holiday season is now behind us with Black Friday and Christmas in the rear-view mirror, it’s never too late to do some eye shopping – especially in today’s college sports world.

The Music City Bowl against Tennessee is yet to be played, and we’re still weeks, if not months, away from portal commitments rolling around. Still, here’s the first edition of a shortlist of wish list players from the transfer portal. While it’s always great to cast a wide net in recruiting, this first list is staying a bit more realistic, grounded in previous interest or the obvious geographic relations these players have to Illinois.