Football

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By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 5, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

Illinois added a Vero Beach football player for the fifth straight year with the signing day of Micah "Champ" Smith. Smith is a four star player who flipped from a prior commitment to UCLA to Illinois over offers from nearly all the blueblood programs in the nation, most specifically Ohio State. Smith is a likely tackle but could play guard or even flip to the defensive side of the ball.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Smith is a rare athlete who can make a difference on the field in numerous ways.

Illini head coach Bret Bielema has been strategic and intentional in his desire to build up the football pipeline from junior colleges to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 4, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — While a big percentage of the industry are intently focused on high school and transfer portal, the 2026 signing class showcased Bret Bielema’s strategy to find a third marketplace of talent - junior colleges.

Four members of the 30-player 2026 Illini signing class come from a recently ignored but talent-infused junior colleges and a trio of those older players at very important position groups will likely be asked to immediately take over starting role in the upcoming 2026 season.

With Illinois recently promoting more financial resources than they’ve ever had in the Bielema era to use for player acquisition, Bielema and his player personnel staff including general manager Patrick Embleton and executive director of player evaluations and acquisitions Nate McNeal still understand they still needed to find a strategic way to zig while the rest of power conference programs are zagging into this new world of a professional sports nature of college football recruiting. Enter a further evaluation of junior college prospects.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 4, 2025

Illinois filled a 300-pound size hole at a tackle position when College of the Canyons offensive tackle TJ Taylor pledged to the Illini over several high major offers from the lower tier of the Big Ten and SEC.  Taylor is a right tackle for College of the Canyons and that's where I project him for Illinois next year, probably as the starter from day 1.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Taylor is a high-quality athlete who has developed an impressive skillset in his two years at College of the Canyons. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has said for severa weeks that multiple high school signees could find themselves in the starting lineup for the 2026 season opener by September. Here’s a look a five possibilities.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — This 2026 recruiting class represents a brad new world for Illinois head coach Bret Bielema.

The fifth-year head coach, who just wrapped up his first consensus Top 25 ranked signing class on Wednesday, has consistently said for the last two weeks that he believes this recruiting haul could have multiple true freshman starters for the upcoming 2026 season. This is a claim that Bielema has never been able to publicly declare in his 16 years as a college football head coach despite winning three straight Big Ten Conference championships at Wisconsin and going to three straight bowl games at Arkansas.

“So, I knew when we signed Gabe Jacas that he was going to be a good player. I had a good feeling on that one,” Bielema said. “What makes this class different than any other class I’ve had here is I think I’ve got two to four guys who could walk in the door and instantly be starters. It’s not because they’re athletic but it’s because well, a lot of time freshmen play because of their mental ability more than their physical ability. You have to have a certain awareness in the way you’ve been built and this class will have a higher number of those people than any other I’ve ever had.”

IlliniGuys.com wanted to preview five possible instant starting options for the 2026 Illini that Bielema and his staff have acquired in this recruiting class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ4qHv2tdTU    

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

December 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

These are not the 10 highest rated, and probably not the 10 best players at this moment that Illinois is adding on signing day. But these are 10 guys that I think are the most important and will make a big impact at Illinois over the next 4 or 5 years.

This is a top 25 recruiting class and a class that has a chance to lay the groundwork for the Illini moving up a notch in the college football world.

Nick Hankins - Guys with elite cover skills do not grow on trees

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 3, 2025

(Cover photo player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — IlliniGuys Football Writer and Analyst Matt Stevens had a hunch that Illinois had a strong chance of flipping offensive lineman Micah Smith, a 6-foot-5, 325-pound standout from Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Florida. That prediction proved accurate, as Smith backed off his pledge to UCLA and is now set to join Illinois’ 2026 recruiting class.

Smith originally committed to the Bruins in May, but Illinois was one of the programs heavily involved with him early. Before choosing UCLA, he held offers from a long list of national powers, including Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Indiana, Florida, Kentucky, Iowa State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Penn State, and North Carolina.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Chowan University)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois continues to build momentum in building a solid roster for next year, securing a commitment from Chowan University quarterback Maurice Smith Jr., who was officially offered a scholarship on Nov. 16 according to On3. The Illini have landed several impactful JUCO players in recent days, but adding a seasoned quarterback with proven production marks another meaningful step in reshaping the roster.

Smith, originally from Vero Beach, Florida, will arrive with one year of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound quarterback posted impressive numbers for the Hawks, throwing for 3,243 yards and 25 touchdowns this past season.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois landed a major recruiting victory as running back Javari Barnett decommitted from Alabama and returned to the Illini’s 2026 class. Barnett, once an Illinois pledge, had continued communication with the staff even after committing to the Crimson Tide. That persistence paid off; the Tampa Bay Tech standout will now wear orange and blue next season.

Barnett, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back, held offers from Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Iowa, Baylor, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. The Tampa, Florida, product is ranked the No. 38 running back in the nation by Rivals and On3.

By IlliniGuys Staff

December 3, 2025

Just days after becoming the third coach in program history to put together back-to-back eight-win campaigns, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is planning for his sixth season on campus as verbal commits become official during today's National Signing Day.

More than two dozen future Illini are expected to submit Letters of Intent to don the orange and blue. Here's a look at the recruiting class of 2026:

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 2, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With his offensive line set to lose some of its most veteran voices this offseason, Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema has wasted no time picking up some game-ready players to protect his quarterback for the 2026 season.

On Tuesday, the program picked up a commitment from three-star JUCO interior offensive lineman Maika Matelau. Hailing from Ontario, California, and currently playing at Mt. San Antonio College, there was a long list of Power Five suitors to pick up Matelau. Illinois beat out Wisconsin, Michigan State, BYU, NC State, California, and Oklahoma State, among others, to grab a commitment from Matelau, who is of Tongan descent. At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, Matelau is rated as the top JUCO IOL in the nation by 247Sports, and the 19th-best JUCO recruit overall.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 2, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

Illinois digging deep into the JUCO ranks as the Illini start to make plans for next year and as I write this have added three potential starters from junior colleges in the last week. In my humble opinion, Jakwon Morris is the best of the three. Morris was ranked by some as the top junior college cornerback in the nation and broke a commitment to USC when he picked the Illini. Morris is from Mississippi, like many of the current Illini and fellow JUCO cornerback Kaleb Patterson, but aside from that fact he's going to fit right in with the Illini because he's a carbon copy of the stream of defensive backs who've made their way to Champaign from Florida.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

If you've read my trench reports, you've noticed that Illinois has had a consistent problem with

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 2, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The early signing period opens this Wednesday, and with under 24 hours to go before high school and junior college athletes will put pen to paper to sign their name to their program of choice for the 2026-27 season, IlliniGuys has put together a short list of players that the Illinois Fighting Illini Football staff may be working around the clock to flip during these three days.

DL Lance Dawson – 6-5, 250 lbs. (Avon, Ohio)
While Dawson, a three-star recruit, has been committed to play for Cincinnati since June, he has been getting some interest from other teams looking to swoop in, and with a defensive line that will graduate no fewer than three players this year, the Avon, Ohio native makes sense as someone to go after.

Ohio prep linebacker and Cincinnati commit Lance Dawson took in an Illini home game in November as he contemplates his future. (Courtesy Zeno Jo/IlliniGuys)

Standing at 6-foot-5 and carrying a background as a three-sport athlete in basketball, track, and football, Dawson possesses speed and athleticism that a lot of defensive linemen his size don’t. That can be appealing to coaches.

“I’ve been closing doors because a lot of schools are just reaching out to just try to get me with money, but I know I’m here to find a home or place that actually fits me,” Dawson told IlliniGuys earlier this fall. “Right now I’ve only been talking to West Virginia, Illinois, Cincinnati, obviously I’m committed to Cincinnati, but their staff knows I’m keeping my doors open and I just want to finish out my recruiting process.”

Dawson and his family members were adorned in Illinois gear during their visit, which took place during the Illini’s win over Rutgers last month.

EDGE Ian Campbell – 6-2, 235 lbs. (Joliet, Illinois)
With several members of the front line of defense set to graduate,