
Illini Pull Away From Spartans To Win Home Finale
By IlliniGuys Staff November 16, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - […]
Illini Pull Away From Spartans To Win Home Finale
By IlliniGuys Staff November 16, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - […]
‘Everything he gets, he’s earned’ - Pat Bryant’s Illini Legacy Culminates During Senior Day
After four years of developing into one of the […]
IlliniGuys Predictions - Michigan State at Illinois
November 16, 2024 The Illini come into this game […]
The Illini’s By-Committee Approach to Replacing Dylan Rosiek
The season-ending injury to Dylan Rosiek in the 25-17 loss to Minnesota is going to force Illinois to rely on several players with little to no significant playing experience.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
November 14, 2024
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The players inside the Smith Family Football Complex may need to acknowledge the private messaging in the public command coming from Illinois inside linebackers coach Archie McDaniel.
Football Recruiting Spotlight on Michael Clayton II
Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst
November 13, 2024
Illinois made a big splash on the recruiting front during its week off when 4-star quarterback Michael Clayton II of Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida chose the Illini over offers from numerous other high majors.
Heat Checks & Hail Marys - How Long Will B1G & SEC Play Nice, Illini Hoops Update & B1G Football Tiers
Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]
Ked's Recruiting Roundup - Illinois' Newest Quarterback Commitment Michael Clayton II is a Big Deal
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
November 12, 2024
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini football program received one of the most significant commitments of the Bret Bielema era on Sunday. Michael Clayton II, a 2026 quarterback from Sanford, Florida, became the first player to pledge to Illinois in his class.
Illini Use Bye Week Practices to Investigate Late-Developers for Final Three Games
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema believes several key members of his roster who have gone unused through nine games will emerge in this final month.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
November 12, 2024
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Through the first nine games of this season, Gentle Hunt has played one snap of action.
Football Recruiting Spotlight on J.J. Hirdes
By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst
November 11, 2024
Illinois continued its recent recruiting success by flipping Coopersville (Michigan) offensive tackle J.J. Hirdes from his commitment to nearby Eastern Michigan to Illinois soon after flipping Tywan Cox from his prior commitment to USF. Hirdes is a true tackle who was getting some interest from other Big Ten schools when Illinois turned up the pressure to secure his commitment. However, he isn't quite as strong of a prospect as Cox.
What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?
Breaking News: Illinois Lands Four-Star 2026 Recruit, Michael Clayton II
By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
November 19, 2024
CHAMPAIGN, IL — During their bye week, the Illinois football program picked up its recruiting efforts, resulting in a major win as four-star quarterback Michael Clayton II committed to the Illini.
IlliniGuys learned that Illinois was set to make Clayton’s top three when he announced his decision in December. Just yesterday, he narrowed his list to seven schools, which included Ole Miss, Nebraska, South Carolina, Louisville, Auburn, Missouri, and Illinois.
Football Recruiting Spotlight on Tywan Cox
By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst
November 9, 2024
(Cover picture courtesy player's page on X)
I feel like I need to warn any family members of current or former Illini: If you're worthy of a P4 scholarship in football, you can expect a recruiting blitz from Bret Bielema. Tywan Cox is the sixth player to pledge to the Illini after having a brother play football in Champaign, and I don't think this trend is going to slow down anytime soon. Aside from all that, I'm really enthusiastic about Cox as a prospect regardless of his lineage. Despite his excellent performance at football factory Northwestern (Miami) High School and his lineage from his brother Torrie Jr. and father Torrie Sr., Tywan didn't get the high major interest he would have liked and committed to USF in June. However, Illinois got involved and stayed involved through the fall and liked Tywan's fall film enough to make him an offer and he jumped.
What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?
Matt Stevens CFP vs. Actual CFP Rankings
After the first CFP rankings, IlliniGuys.com senior reporter Matthew […]
Illini Film Review: Minnesota 25, No. 24 Illinois 17
Based on his post-game media conference, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema sees things that bother him about the pass protection issues that presented themselves on Saturday in loss to Minnesota.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
November 6, 2024
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In what was likely a sarcastic but possibly enlightening comment immediately the 25-17 loss to Minnesota, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema believes his team’s final offensive play is a microcosm of the problem that has popped up recently.
“I think it was a fitting ending for us that our final play ended on a sack fumble on a three-man rush,” Bielema said. “I think that showed exactly what wasn’t in the deck of cards for us.”
So, let’s first look at this final offensive play because frankly, it’s really not all that complicated to understand.
Illini Fined $5,000 By Big Ten Conference For Bret Bielema’s Criticism of League Officiating
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was reprimanded, and Illinois was fined $5,000 by the Big Ten Conference for a violation the league’s sportsmanship Policy with “his criticism of officiating” following 25-17 loss to Minnesota.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
November 5, 2024
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The University of Illinois athletics department has been issued a $5,000 fine by the Big Ten Conference for what conference officials are categorizing is a violation of the league’s sportsmanship policy following Illini head football coach Bret Bielema’s comments directed at league officiating after the Illini’s 25-17 loss to Minnesota last weekend.