Football

By Matt Stevens -- IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 10, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Ron Johnson/USA Today)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The hope in the hiring of Barry Lunney Jr. the program’s 12th offensive coordinator in the last 13 years, is the program will finally be able to make good on a promise.  

Since 2009, when then-Illini offensive coordinator Mike Locksley agreed to become the next head coach at New Mexico, Illinois has gone through 11 different offensive coordinators. All of them have pledged, in one way or another, to heavily involve the tight end position in the pass game of the Illini offense. 

In those 13 years, Illinois has never had a tight end be among the top 30 targets in the Big Ten Conference despite having spotty consistency at the position. In 2020, Daniel Barker, who announced earlier this winter he was intending to investigate his options with the upcoming National Football League draft process, was the team’s second-leading receiver...

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 10, 2022

Illinois added a couple of notable preferred walk-ons Saturday

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

January 9, 2022

Illinois assistant football coach George McDonald may have found a gem in the class of 2022

Fabrizio Pinton, a 6-foot-3, 215-lb combo kicker-punter from the Air Force Academy and The Woodlands (TX) High School, verbally committed to Bret Bielema and Illinois football on January 8, 2022.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema goes with a comfortable choice in selecting UTSA offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. as the Illini’s new offensive coordinator

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January x, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bret Bielema is much more familiar with his second offensive coordinator hire at Illinois. 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

January 8, 2022

Miles McVay is a 6-foot-7, 335-pound offensive tackle from the class of 2023 from East St. Louis, Illinois.

Because McVay was recently offered by Illinois, IlliniGuys.com caught up with him to get the latest on his recruitment.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 5, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Relevant and powerful college football programs make the move that Bret Bielema made this week at the offensive coordinator. 

Sure, it’s a little cold, maybe a little distasteful and even probably a little impatient move to terminate a person after just one season of work and after one season of a complete program rebuild by all staff members involved. It’s also something championship programs do when they see an element going in the opposite direction everybody desires. 

There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that Bielema wanted to fire somebody...

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has met with UTSA offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., who worked for Bielema at Arkansas. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Beat Writer

January 4, 2021

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- All signs are pointing toward Illinois head coach Bret Bielema

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has terminated offensive coordinator […]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois punter Blake Hayes was named to the Senior […]

By IlliniGuys Staff January 2, 2022 He's the architect […]

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Staff January 1, 2022 […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema claims not one of the 22 signees of his first full recruiting class stressed name, image and likeness to him or his coaching staff.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 30, 2021

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- It would be safe to assume that Bret Bielema and Lane Kiffin don’t typically find themselves on the same philosophical spectrum. 

Steve Sturm, Illinois Football Analyst

December 27, 2021

James Kreutz shows no offers on his recruiting profiles.

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 26, 2021

I started this signing day series of spotlight articles with the two players that you're most likely to see on the field in 2022.