Football

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 25, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- If there’s one promise Bret Bielema and offensive line coach Bart Miller can continue to make to Illinois fans it’s that the position group closest to the football on every play will be bigger, more athletic and more ready for the Big Ten Conference. 

Last season, the average starting offensive lineman in the Big Ten Conference was nearly 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds. Illinois’ offensive line in 2021 had four consistent starters under that physical landmark in at least one, if not both, categories. Of course, that’s not to say some of that veteran leadership, intelligence and nastiness attitude won’t be missed in 2022 as Doug Kramer was significantly under in both factors (6-foot-2 and 300 pounds) but managed to play himself into getting drafted in the sixth round by the Chicago Bears. Does this 2022 Illinois offensive line have attractive NFL talent on it? Likely yes but even if the answer is no, it won’t be because they are undersized. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 24, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The good news is Terrance Jamison has more bodies in his defensive line coach meeting room than when he began his job at Illinois. 

The bad news is any injuries to prominent lineman Jer'Zhan Newton and Keith Randolph Jr. would still be a serious blow to the front line of the Illini’s 3-4 defensive scheme. Newton and Randolph will once again be counted on to not only secure the edges in the run defense of second-year coordinator Ryan Walters’ scheme but also increase its production of getting vertical up the field in pass rush situations. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

August 24, 2022

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

Is there anything more important than a quarterback to a college football team?

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 23, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters and cornerbacks coach Aaron Henry return what is likely the most dominant element of the Illini defensive unit despite losing a multi-starter at cornerback (Tony Adams) and a NFL third round pick as a nickel safety (Kerby Joseph).

Despite not finding its footing from a pass rush standpoint for the first month, Illinois was able to hold opponents to just 215.2 yards passing per game because the last line of the Illini’s defense was able to cover and disrupt teams with a brand of physicality and athleticism rarely seen as Lovie Smith was trying to use youth in his back four. 

Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman wants fans to understand that the reported uptick in revenue coming to his department due to the Big Ten television deal has already been earmarked for past projects. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 23, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Bloomington Pantagraph)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Josh Whitman might be spending a large portion of his future dissuading any belief that the new Big Ten Conference media rights deal will equate to a major facility project or groundbreaking upgrade. 

The University of Illinois athletics took the opportunity Monday afternoon to address the fact and fiction regarding the league’s media right deal, which the Associated Press has reported is worth around $8 billion over a six-year period. 

For the first time since he’s arrived in Champaign, all three of Bret Bielema’s coordinators will be on the field during games. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 22, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- As a defensive coordinator Bret Bielema remembers the feeling of needing to be where the action is and in 2022, his top three assistant coaches will have that same prospective. 

Bielema, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, first-year offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and first-year special teams coordinator Sean Snyder will all be on the Memorial Stadium turf for the beginning of the 2022 season on Saturday when the Illini host Wyoming (3 p.m., Big Ten Network). 

Since being the defensive boss for College Football Hall of Fame coaches Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, Bielema has always been a coach on the field as he directed KSU’s and Wisconsin’s units to national prominence as a young assistant coach. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 22, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Justin Shen/Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The unfortunate and tragic situation surrounding Ben Miller’s colon cancer diagnosis and treatment has produced what would normally be an awkward temporary scenario for anybody other than Bret Bielema and Sean Snyder.

With Miller continuing his chemotherapy throughout this fall season, Bielema knew he’d need an assistant coach willing to make Champaign his home for no more than the next few months. The Illini second-year head coach turned to a former college teammate and close friend in Snyder. Snyder, who was not retained at Southern California despite being recognized nationally as one of the best special teams coaches, was looking for a Power Five Conference program to help for a few months before the son of College Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Snyder went job shopping in the winter.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

August 22, 2022

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

Does Bret Bielema know offensive linemen? While he is a defensive coach by nature he’s always had good offensive lines at his stops. So how does the Illini OL haul stand up to the rest of the Big Ten?

By Zain Bando/IlliniGuys Student Correspondent

August 21, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — It's safe to say Bret Bielema and his Illini football program are both in a different place this time a year ago.

Last August, Bielema had begun laying the foundation atop the scorched earth that was Illinois football.  The team was coming off a 2-6 COVID-affected, Big Ten opponent-only season that marked the ninth straight year with a losing record and the 14th consecutive conference campaign in which the Illini failed to win more games in Big Ten play than they lost.

Fast-forward to today and, while Bielema has openly admitted he wasn't satisfied with the 5-7 showing in his initial campaign, the improvements are obvious to even the casual fan. 

Leon Clarke, who for over 20 years has been known as one of the best private quarterback instructors in New Jersey, remembers first being asked to train current Illinois quarterbacks Tommy DeVito and Art Sitkowski. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 19, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- When Bret Bielema brought in Art Sitkowski to tell him the transfer portal quarterback he just submitted a scholarship offer to, the Illinois head coach had no idea it would invoke the reaction that it did. 

Long before Bret Bielema had secured an in-person visit this winter with Syracuse graduate transfer Tommy DeVito, the Illinois head football coach needed to know if bringing him would cause a problem with his incumbent quarterback. 

In a short meeting in his office inside the Smith Family Football Center, Bielema informed Sitkowski that “I felt we needed a more veteran quarterback” and Sitkowski began to do nothing but smile when he heard the name. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

August 19, 2022

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

Tight ends have become a huge part of college football offenses and Bret Bielema has a good group on his roster this season.

(From the Big Ten office) August 18, 2022 The […]

(From University of Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 17, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Welcome to one of the final days of a preseason football camp for the Illinois program for the 2022 campaign in the second year of Illini head coach Bret Bielema.

Today was the last 15-minute viewing period of preseason camp but here are some quick notes:

The Illini team was on the grass fields behind the Smith Family Football Center.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

August 17, 2022

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

Ohio State dominates the Big Ten in wide receiver recruiting and development.