Football

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says his 2026 spring roster could look drastically different with several positional changes when it’s released next week.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — For the first time since his first season as the head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bret Bielema’s official release of the spring roster might be the most anticipated moment of the offseason.

As he enters his sixth season leading the Illini football operation, Bielema acknowledged Monday, on the day of his team’s first spring practice, that several positional changes for the 2026 season are still being figured out by coaches and staff members inside the Smith Center.

“To be quite honest, in these first three days, we’ve got some guys who are in positions that are new to them, new to us and we have to see exactly where they are before we’ll make an initial announcement of how they’ll be lining up,” Bielema said Monday afternoon. “When you get the roster, you’ll see three (defensive positions) defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs and that’s it.”

Illinois conducted its first spring practice on Monday night and will return to the Memorial Stadium filed on Wednesday morning. The first two spring practices, per NCAA regulations, must be without shoulder pads where the players are just in helmets and cushioned spider pads underneath their jerseys. All of Illinois’ 15 spring practice sessions will be closed to the public.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Georgia State Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Among the many new faces that Illinois welcomed through the transfer portal, Georgia State transfer Deuce Fillmore provided Illini fans with not just a look into how the team’s new defensive coordinator will run things on his side of the ball, but also a unique view on his recruitment.

Fillmore started his career at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and while his second stop at Georgia State was sure to provide a step up in competition, he described the step up to Illinois as an even bigger one.

“You see a lot of big guys,” Fillmore said after a big exhale. “You don’t really see them from where I’m at, but the competition’s different, the energy’s different… everything’s just different.”

The decision to come to Illinois from the transfer portal was an easy one for Fillmore, but that came in large part thanks to someone who isn’t on the staff anymore.

“Whew, the portal’s a lot, but as soon as I got here, I knew I just wanted to come here,” Fillmore said. “I met Coach (Corey) Parker, Coach Henry, sadly he ain’t here no more, but they just made it a whole experience.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – While the spotlight shines on March Madness across college basketball, the Illinois football staff is preparing for an important stretch on the recruiting trail, with visitors set to arrive in Champaign and potential offers on the horizon.

One name to watch is 2028 prospect Gregory Bess-Henning II, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver and defensive back from Mundelein, Illinois. Bess-Henning II is scheduled to visit Illinois on March 30 and is optimistic about what could come from the trip.

We caught up with the talented underclassman to get the latest on his recruitment. Heading into the visit, he is hopeful that an offer will follow.

"I don't have an offer from Illinois, but I'll probably get one on my visit," Bess-Henning II said.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has elected to not […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy FCSNation.com)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On the true opening day of March Madness, the Illinois football staff kept fans on edge with another key roster addition, continuing to build toward the 2026 season with urgency and purpose.

Just minutes ago, Illinois secured a commitment from Illinois State wide receiver Eddie Kasper, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior from Wheaton, Illinois, who brings experience and production to the Illini offense.

Kasper appeared in 41 games over four seasons with Illinois State, recording 137 receptions for nearly 1,200 yards and three touchdowns. His consistency and reliability made him a steady target throughout his Redbirds career.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 18, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

You didn't think I'd skip over these guys did you? Of course not. I love special teams almost as much as I love line play. Besides, this is about as interesting an offseason in Illini special teams as we're ever going to get! There's competition at every major job, a new coach, and don't forget the impact of the new enormous video board!

Newcomers
I have to start with switch punter Jack Gray. We don't really know what we're going to be getting with Gray because as of this moment all you can see is videos from Pro Kick Australia and a ranking of 6th in the composite punter ratings for the Class of 2026. Even if you're evaluating by rankings though, they're are all over the place on Gray so its anyone's guess how he'll turn out. However, he's a fun guy to think about kicking at Illinois because of the ambipedal aspect (ambidextrous applies to hands, ambipedal applies to feet). Tennessee punter Jackson Ross is the only other ambipedal punter I've ever heard of, and though he's better with his right foot, he takes advantage of his special skill to kick with his left foot on situations where he can see that the return team has overcommitted to one side. As of right now the scuttlebutt is that he's for real and will be a factor at Illinois, but Memorial Stadium's wind tunnel has made or ruined many careers, and there's no way to prepare for it, and of course there's no substitute for in-game reps.

If Ethan Moczulski leaves and then comes back, is he really a newcomer? Well, don't think too hard about that because I decided to write about him here anyway. The good news with Moczulski is that he has a huge leg which allowed him to set the Illini record with a 63 yard field goal in 2024. The bad news is that he hasn't been consistent with that leg.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

Illinois got a second big early addition to the Class of 2027 when Evanston Township defensive back Justin Johnson committed to the Illini over at least six other Big Ten offers as well as interest from around the country.  Johnson is a really big defensive back prospect who could fit all over the defensive backfield.  However, as you'll see, its rather hard to see where he fits into the Illini future because he played for a rough Evanston Township program that went 6-12 in the last two years.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Johnson is clearly a Big Ten football player.  His athletic ability stands out even against 8A competition and in case you were doubtful,

With scouts and professional personnel from all 32 NFL teams in attendance, former Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer’s final moments in Champaign was a complex throwing session.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 12, 2026

CHAMPAIGN — There is a time not that long ago where Luke Altmyer realizes that a pro day workout or a throwing session workout at the National Football League Scouting Combine might have overwhelmed his emotions.

Three years ago, Betsy Altmyer dropped off her son in Champaign hopeful he was on the road to being able to solve confidence and anxiety issues that go along with being a starter quarterback at a power conference program. On Thursday, Betsy was in attendance watching her 23-year-old conduct a full throwing workout in front of scouts from all 32 teams inside the Irwin Indoor Facility connected to the Smith Center.

“They dropped off a young man here a few years ago and I truly believe he transformed himself into a man,” Luke Altmyer said Thursday. “It’s taken some time but today was just another example of trying to make people believe that I’m the man for this job and I can do it whether it’s command a huddle, being an elite athlete and do everything needed to be a quarterback at this next level.”

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst' March 11, […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 9, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Four years ago, he was a 19-year-old freshman holding a clipboard on the sideline while Michigan State pulled off an upset victory on the road over a No. 16 Fighting Illini football team. In just a few months, he’ll be under center for the Fighting Illini.

The journey to becoming a starting quarterback for a Big Ten program has taken an up, down, and around route for East Carolina transfer Katin Houser, but the former Spartan and Pirate seems to believe that he’s finally where he belongs.

“It’s exciting, it’s humbling,” Houser said on Wednesday during his first availability to local media. “I’m just really blessed to be here, I’m blessed to be here and be a part of the family.”

Houser said that towards the end of his redshirt junior season at East Carolina, he had already begun to consider entering the transfer portal. He had high market value. He led his team to an 8-4 record, and threw for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions while also punching in nine rushing touchdowns before opting out of the Military Bowl and entering the transfer portal.

The transition to life in Champaign has been smooth, according to Houser, but that could have been expected back in January. Houser entered the portal on December 16, took his official visit on January 4, and committed later that day. The reason given for the quick decision is a buzzword that Bret Bielema uses frequently and is a response that the soon-to-be sixth-year head coach probably loved to hear.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 7, 2026

Last but not least among the Class of 2026 recruiting spotlights is Caden Considine from Byron. The son of former Iowa safety and 8 year NFL veteran Sean Considine, Caden was one of the most impressive high school players I've ever seen. He carried the load on both sides of the ball for Class 3A state champion Byron, with 2,119 yards on 175 carries and 40 touchdowns as a fullback on offense as well as 84 tackles and 3 interceptions on defense as a sort of hybrid linebacker/ safety on defense. Illinois announced Considine as a defensive back rather than a running back, which makes sense to me based on everything I can see. He also reports just a few top FCS offers as well as some MAC interest, which unfortunately also makes sense based on everything I see. However, I do like this addition at the very end of the recruiting cycle.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?
Like I mentioned above, Illinois is looking at Considine as a defender rather than a running back. So, while the majority of this highlight set involves Considine running past defenders who not only have a hard time getting a hand on him, they also have a hard time bringing him down, try to look past that. Byron was a dominant Class 3A team that was only challenged in one game this year, the state championship against Tolono Unity. I watched that game live and came away very impressed with Considine. He was unstoppable on offense, and the best chance Byron had to stop Tolono was if Considine was involved in the play. Byron is a very well-coached team though, and Considine's gaudy rushing numbers are not only a function of a great scheme and great blocking but also the fact that Byron was ahead by three touchdowns early in nearly every game so they were able to simply run, run, and run some more. If Considine is going to be seen on the offensive side of the ball though, it will be taking inside handoffs similar to the bread and butter play that you'll see again and again in these clips. He doesn't have the speed or quickness to be a regular running back in the Big Ten. As a power guy who runs with some determination and gets the ball in short yardage? Maybe. But put a pin in that because Brett Bielema has never employed a two play player at Illinois (at the same time) and I don't expect that to change with Considine.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2T5q6G

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

Illinois is bringing in Bobby Hauck as the defensive coordinator and that they'll be shifting to the 3-3-5. That means different responsibilities for the linemen, linebackers and safeties, leaving only one position where the responsibilities will be unchanged: the cornerbacks.

Newcomers
This list starts with the transfer from Deuce Fillmore from Georgia State. Georgia State was the worst team in one of the worst conferences (Sun Belt), but Fillmore managed to put up a solid junior season in his only year there after two prior seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College (the same school alma mater as Zy Crisler). Fillmore is a tough player who works hard, but he's short and his long speed will be a weakness in the Big Ten. I'd rather he play as a nickel safety than a corner, but as long as the Illini give him safety help over the top he should be ok. However, my preference for the starter opposite Juice Clarke next year is....

With spring practices slated to begin on March 23, the Illinois new defensive coaches have begun to tutor and mentally install the unique 3-3-5 defensive scheme to players and returning coaches.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 5, 2026

CHAMPAIGN — In his introductory media conference, Roger Cooper wasn’t about to try to convince the public that the defensive scheme Illinois is trying to install this offseason isn’t going to be a different experience for these players.

Cooper, who has brought to Champaign-Urbana from the Montana coaching staff that new Illini defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck left less than a month ago, knows this 3-3-5 style is a drastically different look than anything these Illini players and returning coaches from the 2025 season have been tasked to learn.

“It’s a different version of defense. We say it’s like the triple option version of defense,” Cooper said Thursday in his media conference inside the Smith Center in Champaign.

Cooper knows what these players and, more specifically, the returning Illinois defensive coaches are dealing with trying to understand a scheme they’ve never been associated with before. Before the 2022 season,

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Illinois football added another piece to its future recruiting class with a commitment from in-state defensive back Justin Johnson. The 2027 prospect becomes the second player to pledge to the Illini in the class, joining quarterback Kamden Lopati from Utah.

Johnson chose Illinois over several Big Ten programs, including Northwestern, Rutgers, Michigan State and Iowa State. Landing the in-state defensive back continues a recent emphasis for the Illini on keeping top Illinois talent at home.

Illinois cornerbacks coach Corey Parker led the recruitment for Johnson, a three-star prospect from Evanston Township. Parker has been active on the recruiting trail, building relationships with defensive backs across the Midwest and prioritizing versatile players who can fit the Illini secondary in the coming years.

Robby Hauck, the son of the new Illinois defensive […]