Football

Leary is hopeful his spring workouts with ‘Quarterback University’ founder Donovan Dooley has him prepared for his first fall camp this coming August. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 22, 2022

(Photos courtesy Chris LaChall/Cherry Hill Courier-Post)

The simple goal for Donovan Leary was to arrive on the Illinois campus this past weekend as physically prepared as possible to begin his quarterback development. 

Despite not being able to graduate early at Timber Creek High School in New Jersey after signing with Illinois during the early period this November, Leary spent the spring months working with private quarterback coach Donovan Dooley on the similar fundamentals that new Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. will want to see when fall camp opens in early August.

“I’m not easy as Don because he deserves somebody who will coach him hard and get the best out of him,” Dooley said. “In the same line of thinking though, my wish is everybody gets to see how unbelievably physically gifted he actually is.” 

Leary arrived on the Illinois campus on the June 17th weekend and will immediately participate in summer workouts with the Illini football strength and conditioning staff led by Tenarius ‘Tank’ Wright. 

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

June 21st, 2022

Weeks ago, IlliniGuys caught up with Mason Muragin, a 6-4 235-pound DE from Warren, MI.

Bret Bielema walked the tightrope of making sure the scholarship offer to Kevin Hardy’s son was on his merit while also making sure dad, the former Illini Hall of Famer, felt welcome. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 21, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Camden Hardy's Twitter page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Following his performance in the second showcase camp, Bret Bielema walked Camden Hardy into his office to offer a scholarship to the 2024 pass rusher prospect knowing this wasn’t a normal conversation.

Bielema’s job on that Thursday afternoon was three-fold. 

The first task was already accomplished because the two-hour on-field work of the 2024 pass rusher prospect from Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville, Fla., was easily impressive enough to prove he could play as an outside linebacker in the current Illinois 3-4 system. Camden Hardy, who is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, proved the film of his sophomore season where he had 57 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks while leading Atlantic Coast High School to the Class 7A playoffs with his father, former Butkus Award winner Kevin Hardy as his the position coach, was not deceptive in any way. 

“Honestly, I was not expecting the offer,” Camden Hardy said. “We were first sitting in his office and you know that whole family motto he’s preaching at Illinois? You felt that presence because first of all, he has his office set up like a living room and not an office. Once the offer bomb came from Coach Bielema, a rush of emotion came over me but then, I immediately wondered if this was happening because of my dad.” 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 18, 2022

When I first saw McMillen's film, I wondered if I was really looking at a high school junior because he executes so well from so many positions.

Three-star defensive back Jaheim Clarke became the 10th commitment of the Illini’s 2023 recruiting class and second verbal pledge coming out of this weekend. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer and Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 19, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Sunshine State of Florida has been very fruitful to the Illinois football program and the commitment of Jaheim Clarke simply adds to that total. 

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

June 19th, 2022

David Olano courtesy Illinois Athletics

David Olano a 5-10, 160-pound, 2023 Kicker from Naperville, IL committed to Illinois today.

The Illini Showcase Camp on June 16 featured a nationally-rated kicker, the son of a Illini Hall of Famer offered and Illinois OC Barry Lunney Jr. eyeing a quarterback from his old stomping grounds.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 17, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bret Bielema wasn’t about to let Kevin Hardy leave his alma mater without his son knowing how much he was cherished by this Illinois football staff. 

Following his participation in the second Illini showcase camp on Thursday afternoon, Camden Hardy, a 2024 pass rusher prospect from Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville, didn’t just leave the Illinois campus with some instruction and a t-shirt. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound outside linebacker/edge rusher who will be entering his junior season of high school got a scholarship offer from second-year head coach Bret Bielema to play at the college where both his father and mother graduated. 

As a sophomore last fall, Hardy had 57 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks while leading Atlantic Coast High School to the Class 7A playoffs while his famous father was the position coach. 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 16, 2022

Jamarrion Harkless was the biggest, and best, catch of the recent recruiting weekend. 

Steve Sturm, Football Analyst

June 15, 2022

Illinois' football staff had fans roaring with delight with their first three additions in their recent recruiting weekend.

Illinois officials have pointed toward the newly opened Atkins Golf Club as a future Big Ten Championship and NCAA Regional host facility. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 14, 2022

URBANA, Ill. -- Mike Small has experienced as a player the feeling of winning a championship on a home course and now has the opportunity to pass that along to his current players. 

Nathan Guinn, an unrated 2023 tight end prospect from Vero Beach (Fla.) High School, receives scholarship offer after an impressive showcase camp performance.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 13, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- It’s not typical for a player entering his senior season to travel over 1,000 miles to an open college camp in the hopes of securing a scholarship offer from that program.

Zain Bando, IlliniGuys Student Correspondent June 12, 2022 The […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 11, 2022

Bret Bielema and his staff put together a huge recruiting weekend last week and it produced a bumper crop of commitments.  The first one pulled the trigger just about as soon as he got off the plane in Champaign, so I'll start with him.  Rico Jackson of Fort Lauderdale is the first offensive lineman from the area to choose the Illini, but taking a player of this caliber is a no-brainer.  Jackson is early in the recruiting process yet already has at least ten high major offers, including a reported offer from Michigan.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

By Steve Sturm -- IlliniGuys Football Analyst

June 10, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Pittsburgh Sports Now)

Illinois has worn a path to the Hun School in New Jersey for recruits since Bret Bielema took over and they dipped into that talent pool again this week when offensive linemen Zachary Aamland pledged to the Illini.  One of the first articles I wrote for IlliniGuys was about Owen Anderson from the Hun School, and I'm having flashbacks because once again I'm having a hard time evaluating their players because of the distinctly different type of competition they're facing.  You see, the Hun School has become a football hotbed because it takes guys with low major offers and turns them into high major recruits while in prep school.  However, it is still playing the prep school circuit on the Eastern seaboard and the low enrollment and talent level of those schools leads to some crazy results.  The Hun School went 9-0 this year with a combined score of 374-63, so when you see the Hun players sometimes winning 11-on-11 battles on some of these highlights, you should keep in mind that they did that virtually the entire season so part of the reason for their success is that they're playing woefully undermanned competition.  However, as with my piece on Owen Anderson, I can hardly contain my excitement about this guy because I see the type of athleticism and strength that should translate to the next level regardless of whether he's facing underwhelming competition now.

Illinois’ current top player and two-time Big Ten Golfer of the Year selection Adrien Dumont de Chassart survived sectional qualifying to earn a spot in the upcoming 2022 U.S. Open. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 7, 2022

Adrien Dumont de Chassart has survived one of the most mentally and physically exhausting one-day challenges in all of golf.