Football

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirms that he and the rest of the coaching staff expects long-term injured players Josh McCray and Caleb Griffin to make the trip to Nebraska. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 27, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The long-standing plan of the Illinois football staff to get Josh McCray back on the playing field after the second bye week is days away from coming to fruition. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed Thursday afternoon that the sophomore tailback has been active with the first-team unit in practice this week and the previous week.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

October 27, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Saboor Karriem's Twitter page)

Illinois' coaching staff spent their off week tying up some loose ends in recruiting, and it paid off with the second commitment in two days.  Three-star cornerback Saboor Karriem, who the staff has been aggressively pursuing since the Spring, pledged to the Illini on Saturday and Illini fans will be very glad that he did.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Illinois slated to open Big Ten Conference play in […]

IlliniGuys Staff

October 26, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst Matt Stevens is on campus and filed these notes exclusively for IlliniGuys members on our football forum a short time ago:

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

October 26, 2022

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

Things are rolling along nicely for 2023 recruiting for Illinois even though there is a lack of elite 4-star talent.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

October 25, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Dez'Mond Schuster)

Illinois made a somewhat surprising addition to its 2023 recruiting class on Friday with the commitment of 3-star Hutchinson Community College offensive lineman Dez'Mond Schuster.  Schuster, who is originally from Gonzales, Louisiana, is in his first season at Hutchinson and will have three years of eligibility remaining when he enrolls at Illinois in the fall.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon looking to be the Illini’s […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

October 24, 2022

Alex Bray, 6-foot-4, 250 pounds from Chesterfield, Missouri, committed to Illinois today. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

October 24, 2022

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

Big things appear to be happening for Illinois recruiting as they now have two commits since their win over Minnesota.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

October 23, 2022

Mason Muragin, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound edge from Warren, Michigan, committed to Illinois back in June. Muragin has several offers from mid-majors, but Illinois saw the talent in Muragin that other Power-5 schools did not.

Muragin said in an earlier statement, "That's why the Illinois coaching staff is better than most. They go out, find talent, see things they are looking for and are confident in making players better."

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

October 22, 2022

Saboor Karriem is one of the most sought-after three-star recruits in the entire country. No disrespect
meant to several recruiting services, but Karriem is one of the best cornerbacks in the class of 2023.
One publication ranks Karriem as the 85th best at his position nationally; Karriem is fully aware of the
rankings.

Today, he's an Illini.  The senior star committing to Bret Bielema's program fully confident of what he can do once he makes it onto the field in Champaign.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

October 22, 2022

When Marques Easley walked out of the recruiting area at Memorial Stadium last Saturday, he looked the part of a college senior already. He is a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle from Kankakee with a very bright football career ahead of him.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

October 21, 2022

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

Things are starting to heat up for Illini football recruiting in the 2023 class with three big pieces of news this week.

By Zain Bando - IlliniGuys Student Correspondent October 20, […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

October 20th, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Dez'Mond Schuster's Twitter account)

Illinois has been courting junior college offensive linemen all across the country, today the Illinois staff landed a big-time prospect in Dez'Mond  Schuster.

Illinois has enough confidence in its abilities to see the talent and develop talent. That's the most popular buzz around the classes of 2023 and 2024. Illinois doesn't care about rankings, they see talent in players that others don't.