Football

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 29, 2024

Good evening and welcome to the first preseason camp practice for the Illinois program for the 2023 season in the fourth campaign of Illini head coach Bret Bielema that begins under lights in Memorial Stadium.

As preseason practice begins Monday evening, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema sees the personnel talent to get the Illinois running game back on track for success.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 29, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — As Bret Bielema enters his 16th preseason camp as the head coach of a power conference program, the first consistency is always that the highest priority will always revolve around the running game. 

Brooks, arguably the most significant acquisition out of the transfer portal for Illinois in the Bret Bielema era, arrives in Champaign after needing a push from his NFL alum father. 

Matthew Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 25, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Terrance Brooks didn’t just imply or hint that he took less of a pay-for-play salary to sign with Illinois out of the transfer portal, he said the perceived quiet part out loud. 

Illinois third year outside linebacker Gabe Jacas must find himself in offensive backfields in 2024 season. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 24, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS — One year ago, Bret Bielema broke his long-standing rule of bringing non-seniors to the league’s media day because if he didn’t, the Illinois head coach knew Jer’Zhan Newton would be in professional football the following summer. 

Purdue will have five former Illinois coaches on its staff when the Boilermakers play at Illinois on Oct. 12 at Memorial Stadium in Walters’ first return to Champaign.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 23, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS — At 7:30 p.m. CST on Jan. 11, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema sent out of the media release confirming the firing of linebackers coach Andy Buh and cornerbacks coach Antonio Fenelus.

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

July 23, 2024

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll have a few more 2026 notes and see how the 2025 WR group compares to the Big Ten. Hint: It’s not that bad.

Illinois fills final assistant/analyst roles for the upcoming 2024 season with the additions of Dana Dimel and Myers Hendrickson.  

July 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — The final additions of Bret Bielema’s coaching staff for the upcoming 2024 season are former head coaches at the Division I level. 

The Illini’s fourth-year head coach announced Monday the hiring of Dana Dimel as a senior offensive assistant and Myers Hendrickson as a senior analyst. 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

July 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini football team is just six weeks away from opening night at Memorial Stadium against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. While much of the off-season hype has surrounded the men’s and women’s basketball recruiting, head coach Bret Bielema and his staff have made significant strides in football recruitment as well.

University of Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman, who is also the NCAA’s Division I Council chairperson, is still promoting the idea of governance. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

CHAMPAIGN  — When asked if prominent power conference university athletics departments want to be governed, University of Illinois Josh Whiman needed a few seconds to pause, breath and sigh before responding. 

Whitman spent several minutes during his annual roundtable discussion in June promoting the idea that some governance will be required to stabilize what can only be described as a chaotic era of collegiate athletics. However, Whitman, who has taken over as the chairperson of the NCAA’s Division I Council, wasn’t naive or unaware of the contrary recent evidence to suggest his plea for stability might be falling on deaf ears when the alternative is a more competitive present and future. 

“I don’t expect enforcement to happen through the existing mechanism that we’ve all known through the last decades. So, it must be a new mechanism and a new structure needs to be put in place to try and monitor this environment,” Whitman said.

Despite numerous recent examples of power conference programs working in their best interest without regulations and perceived historical ethics being considered, Whitman is still publicly advocating for some sort of governing body to put in place that all university presidents/chancellors, athletics directors and coaches can see as a sense of fair play. 

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

July 19, 2024

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll take a look at some 2026 news and rank the RB recruits vs the Big Ten as 2025 has slowed down.

Illinois Athletics July 17, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini […]

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

July 16, 2024

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll I’ll look at how the current WR situation could continue their impact on the trail at that position and how the Illini stack up in the Big Ten at QB in recruiting.

Illinois right-handed starting pitcher Jack Crowder was selected during […]

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

July 12, 2024

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll show where the Illini go from here in the 2025 class.

Even at just 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Torrie Cox Jr. believes he can have a big impact on the Illini’s upcoming 2024 campaign.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 10, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Being a smaller body type has always been the reality of new Illinois defensive back Torrie Cox Jr.