Football

For the second straight recruiting class, the highest ranked prospect according to most online services comes at a familiar position - tailback - in the form of Ca'lil Valentine.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Ca'lil Valentine

Position: Running Back

Height: 6-foot-0

Weight: 180 

Hometown: Chandler, Ariz.

High School: Chandler

Other offers: Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, and Boston College.

For those who are still hopeful that Bret Bielema’s program will ditch the run game as their primary focus of offense, you can permanently forget having that thought.

The body, arm and even finger length of three-star outside linebacker Josaiah Knight is the moldable clay that Illinois assistant coach Charlie Bullen will instantly work with. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Josaiah Knight

Position: Edge

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 230

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

High School: Gadsden County

Other offers: Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Maryland, Missouri, Purdue, and Vanderbilt.

After specifically coaching the position in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and New York Giants, Bret Bielema knows their own aspect of an edge pass rusher no human being can teach:

Three-star linebacker Easton Baker is likely going to be the second ever Illinois football player from the state of Utah to earn a letter. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Easton Baker

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 215

Hometown: Tooele, Utah

High School: Stansbury

Other offers: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Brigham Young, and Arizona State.

Nobody would expect the recruitment of Baker to result in a pipeline for the Illinois football program. Why? The three-star prospect, who was committed to Brigham Young following his ninth grade season of football, is on pace to become the first Illini football player from the state of Utah to earn a letter since Samuel Doxey played center for the Illini in 1891.

Three-star outside linebacker Joe Barna selected the in-state option of Illinois after being highly pursued by Luke Fickell’s new staff at Wisconsin. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Joe Barna 

Position: Outside Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 240

Hometown: Wheaton, Ill.

High School: Wheaton North

Other offers: Wisconsin, Iowa State, Toledo, Purdue, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Ball State.

The biggest question about Joe Barna has essentially been answered on signing day morning. Barna, who has lined up as a tight end, defensive lineman and an edge rusher at the high school level, will be a outside linebacker at the college level when he arrives at Illinois. 

Chicago native Tysean Griffin will be continuing Illinois’ development of the slot wide receiver position as Isaiah Williams leaves for the NFL Draft. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Tysean Griffin

Position: WR

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 165

Hometown: Chicago

High School: Morgan Park

Other offers: Arkansas, Boston College, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, Missouri, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Tysean Griffin used his June 12 birthday to commit to the University of Illinois program and 191 days ago, the Morgan Park High School athlete made his decision official. 

Three-star offensive tackle prospect Zafir Stewart is a product of the recruitment and the re-recruitment process throughout the entire fall season since his June 12th commitment.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Zafir Stewart 

Position: Offensive Tackle

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 320

Hometown: Philadelphia

High School: Imhotep Inst. Charter School

Other offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Maryland, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, and West Virginia.

Normally the timeline of how this does with a football prospect is this current Illinois staff will offer early, get the prospect on campus, receive a verbal commitment and then have to fight off other power programs trying to flip the Illini pledge. In the case of Zafir Stewart, this basically went in the opposite way.

Tennessee three-star prospect Carlos Orr is looking to take his physical skills at 6-foot-4 to an outside receiver position at Illinois in possibly two years. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Carlos Orr

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 185

Hometown: Gatlinburg, Tenn.

High School: Gatlinburg Pittman

Other offers: Austin Peay, Buffalo, East Carolina, Toledo, Miami (Ohio), and Western Michigan.

Carlos Orr needed less than 24 hours following his official visit to the University of Illinois to make his verbal pledge known on social media. On Wednesday morning, the 6-foot-4 and 185-pound receiver sent in his National Letter-of-Intent to make his college destination official. 

By Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst, Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys […]

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

December 20, 2023

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at the latest on OT target Kevin Wigenton, more on some other transfer portal targets and if there will be any Signing Day surprises.

Vernon Woodward was the first of the three Illinois signees in this 2024 recruiting class that was flipped from an initial commitment of a Big Ten Conference program.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Vernon Woodward

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 180

Hometown: Winter Park, Fla.

High School: Winter Park

Other offers: UCF, Wisconsin, Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Missouri, Ole Miss, Purdue, and Virginia.

Mark Vernon Woodward down as the first of three verbal pledge flips toward Illinois after the prospect had given a commitment to a Big Ten Conference rival program.

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 19, 2023

Illinois continued to hit the JUCO ranks in order to fill key positions next year when Trinity Valley Community College freshman Chase Canada committed to the Illini. 

Just 16 days after giving a verbal pledge to Illinois, Yale graduate transfer defensive lineman Clay Patterson has renounced that commitment to continue his recruitment in the portal. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 18, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — Clay Patterson will not be playing his fifth year of college football at the University of Illinois. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

December 18, 2023

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at a key 2025 visit from the weekend and some rumors about huge transfer visits over the last few days as well.

Illinois tight end Tip Reiman says he’s sticking with a decision to leave college football despite not being a projected draft pick by any major news outlet. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyist

December 15, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN  — Tip Reiman has simply not allowed himself a fall-back option to return to college football. 

The 22-year-old Illinois tight end has seen his college career end and says he’s not allowing himself to use his last year of eligibility with the Illini football program to be a safety net option if he’s not projected to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

The deadline to submit or remove your name from consideration for this year’s draft is Jan. 15. However, Reiman will be on the list of underclassmen who have been approved for entry into the 2024 NFL Draft to be sent to clubs on Jan. 19. 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 16, 2023

The Fighting Illini and Iowa Hawkeyes did battle on the football field back in November. Iowa squeaked out a victory over Illinois 15-13.