Football

Former Florida Atlantic wide receiver and kick returner Jayshon Platt is hopeful to be the deep threat in Barry Lunney Jr’s Illinois offensive scheme in the 2026 season. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Florida Atlantic Press/Keira Arimenta

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In his final collegiate season, Jayshon Platt is about to find out if his track speed can translate against Big Ten Conference defenses. 

The former Florida Atlantic wide receiver and kick return specialist has elected to join a competitive wide receiver room at Illinois after producing 46 receptions for 720 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Owls program, along with three rushes for 36 yards and a touchdown. CBS Sports college football reporter Matt Zenitz and 247Sports.com/CBS Sports reporter Chris Hummer were the first to report this news Monday evening. 

Platt, who will turn 22 years old on Jan. 12, is hopeful he can find the opportunity of deep throws from the Illini’s new transfer portal quarterback Katin Houser starting with spring practices in a few months.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver had a breakout campaign in 2025 as FAU was in the midst of a first-year head coaching operation led by former Texas Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zach Kittley’s ‘Air Raid’ offensive style. The FAU was normally in a wide-open passing attack 10 personnel (four receivers, one tailback and no tight end) allowing more opportunities for outside receivers such as Platt. 

Former Colorado State offensive tackle Christian Martin will be expected to compete for a starting spot at either open tackle spot for the Illini starting this spring. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's social media page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Christian Martin was prioritized as the top target out of the transfer portal for Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller and the former Colorado State offensive tackle felt wanted enough that he canceled his previously scheduled official visits with power conference programs.

Martin, who started all 12 games this past season for a Colorado State squad that finished with a disappointing 2-10 overall record, will be given the opportunity to fill the open slots at both tackle spots in the Illinois offensive line as J.C. Davis and Melvin Priestly’s eligibility ended at the end of the 2025 campaign. 

Martin, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound athlete who has two seasons of college eligibility remaining, will likely be challenged by both of the Knapik brothers who transferred into the Illini program before the start of the 2025 season. Nathan Knapik, who is the younger of the Knapik pair, recently got his first collegiate start in an encouraging performance in Illinois’ 30-28 win over Tennessee in the 2025 Music City Bowl. Aidan Knapik, who was always planned to be reshirted in 2025 in order to be eligible to start in 2026, is expected to be fully healthy and medically cleared for the start of spring practices in a few months. Also, Illinois is expected to give a serious look at four-star 2026 offensive tackle signee Micah ‘Champ’ Smith, who chose the Illini in December after flipping his UCLA verbal commitment and declining serious recruiting interest from Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Penn State. 

Illinois safety Matthew Bailey has elected to pass on the 2026 National Football League Draft in order for one final season of college football in Champaign-Urbana.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

January 5, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Matthew Bailey has decided the National Football League can wait one more season. 

The Illinois safety announced on social media Monday evening that he’ll be on the Illini’s 2026 roster and has passed on putting his name in the upcoming NFL Draft. Bailey has 27 career starts at safety and produced games 185 career tackles six career tackles for loss and four career interceptions. 

Bailey’s experience is a welcome sight for an Illini defensive backfield that will see massive changes as Illinois coaches have already acquired East Texas A&M defensive back Lavon Williams out of the transfer portal this past weekend. Illinois also signed highly acclaimed junior college prospect Jakwon Morris. The Illini also got returning news in the form of outside cornerback Jaheim Clarke. 

Former Cincinnati and Wisconsin center Jake Renfro, who already has 36 starts at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, will likely take over the middle of the Illinois offensive line in 2026.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

(Cover photo courtesy University of Wisconsin Athletics)

January 5, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has hit the transfer portal for its likely starting center in the upcoming 2026 season. 

Former Wisconsin and Cincinnati center Jake Renfro has elected to his medical hardship waiver finish his collegiate career for his seventh season in his home state by verbally pledging to play at Illinois. Renfro, an All-American Conference first team selection in 2021 in his first and only season as a starter for Cincinnati (a Group of Four program that qualified for the four-team College Football Playoff bracket) is a 6-foot-4, 313-pound offensive lineman with 36 starts at the Football Bowl Subdivision level before his expected arrival in Champaign-Urbana in January. 

When Luke Fickell left Cincinnati to take the head coaching opening at Wisconsin before the start of the 2022 season, Renfro eventually followed his coach to Madison the next season to be the Badgers starting center. However, a severe injury at Cincinnati before the start of the 2022 season derailed Renfro’s progress and he sat out nearly every game of the 2022 and 2023 season. 

Renfro, a sixth-year senior in the 2025 season, was honored in Madison in November before the ‘Senior Night’ victory over Illinois but he had already suffered a season-ending injury, played in just four games after having surgery to correct a lower-body injury. 

For the sixth consecutive year at Illinois under Bret Bielema, Illinois will likely have a starting quarterback that they’ve acquired from the transfer portal when they open the 2026 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy East Carolina University Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For the sixth time since Bret Bielema took over the football program at the University of Illinois, a transfer quarterback from a Football Bowl Subdivision program has verbally committed to making the move to Champaign-Urbana.

Former East Carolina two-year starting quarterback Katin Houser officially signed a contract to play the 2026 season at Illinois on Sunday evening.

In the 2025 season, Houser started in all 12 regular games at East Carolina before opting out of his team’s bowl game days after announcing he’d be entering the transfer portal for the second time in his collegiate career. Houser had a completion percentage of 65.9 percent for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns with only six interceptions. On the ground, he had 181 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in the best statistical season of his career.

Since Bielema took over the Illinois football operation in Dec. 2020, Illinois has

By Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy East Carolina University Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Former Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer will no longer suit up for the orange and blue, leaving Illini fans wondering who would be next to continue the program’s recent winning ways. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and his staff answered that question with the addition of quarterback Katin Houser, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound transfer from East Carolina.

Houser, originally from Anaheim, Calif., and a graduate of St. John Bosco High School, became one of the more sought-after names in the transfer portal

By Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Penn Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In today’s college football landscape, roster movement is constant. Programs lose players and gain others, often in rapid succession. Illinois added another piece to its roster through the transfer portal with the commitment of defensive lineman Carter Janki, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound transfer from Penn.

Janki arrives in Champaign as a proven interior presence with a productive Ivy League career.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Sr Recruiting Writer

January 4, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The transfer portal, or as it’s known at IlliniGuys, Portal Kombat, is in full effect.

The Illinois football program landed its first commitment of the 2026 transfer portal season Tuesday,

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 3, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

I could get used to finishing a season this way. Illinois finished its second straight 9-win season with its second straight win over an SEC team that it had never beaten before. Not only that, but they did it in what felt a whole lot like a road venue, and they did it while outgaining Tennessee 417 yards to 278 and winning the turnover battle. Without a very fortunate kickoff return and a couple of bad breaks, this is a convincing win over a big-name team.

I'm going to start with defensive highlights this week, as I thought this was our best defensive performance of the year from a scheme standpoint. And this first play was the first eye-opener for me. Most of you are already aware that after Gabe Jacas, Illinois presented very little pass rush this year. So with Jacas sitting out the bowl game, I was assuming Illinois was going to have trouble rushing the passer this year. However, the staff used the time off well and dialed up several blitzes that had Tennessee scratching its collective heads. Tennessee's offense was sacked 22 times this season and threw 437 passes, yet suffered 4 sacks and threw the ball 18 times in the bowl game. And none of them were flukes. I'd have slapped you if you told me that was going to happen.

On this first play, Illinois has its best three pass rushers on the line in the game with Durojaiye, Thompson and Lowery.

Illinois is losing running backs coach Thad Ward as […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 1, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Through 13 games, the Illinois women’s basketball team has had its best start to a season ever. One of the biggest components in the engine pushing the team to that start has been junior guard Maddie Webber.

Webber is currently third in scoring on the team, averaging 11.5 points per game while shooting just below 47% from three-point range. She’s also the first-ever player of Asian descent to play under Shauna Green, and – as far as we at IlliniGuys are aware – the first in program history, too. She’s half-Korean, with ancestry through her father linking her to the country, and says that that part of her identity is something that means a lot to her, not just off the court, but on it, too.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The NCAA transfer portal continued to churn, and Illinois football found itself back in the middle of the action today.

Former Rock Island standout Cole Rusk, a tight end who transferred to Illinois from Murray State, is now officially in the transfer portal. The move comes as a surprise, as the 6-foot-5 Rusk departs what had long been considered his dream school.

David Olano, who connected on the game-winning field goal […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 1, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Happy New Year, IlliniGuys readers! With the Music City Bowl behind us now, portal season is truly upon us now. After a few days to soak in the bowl win and tying the knot on securing 19 wins in two years, the staff will soon get to work to fill out gaps on its roster through the transfer portal.

On the defensive side of the ball, linebackers JoJo Hayden and Easton Baker, defensive lineman Jeremiah Warren, and cornerback Vernon Woodward III have entered the transfer portal.

While it’s always great to cast a wide net in recruiting, this first list is staying a bit more realistic, grounded in previous interest or the obvious geographic relations these players have to Illinois.

Illinois delivers another near perfect performance to topple a Southeastern Conference opponent in a late December bowl game for back-to-back postseason wins for the first time since 2011.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 31, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Illinois head coach Bret Bielema had repeatedly said how much he loathes when good-natured fans mention to him how long it’s been before the Illini football program accomplished something.

As he’s completed his fifth season leading the football program in Champaign-Urbana, the phrase Bielema dislikes hearing the most is ‘did you know it’s been since (fill in the year) since Illinois has (fill in the accomplishment)’ and Bielema was determined on Tuesday night to slow down that kind of talk by seeing his team create its own history.

“We talked a lot about all different kinds of numbers. (Monday night) I got emotional in a team meeting because I saw them that after the Northwestern win that this group has either tied or surpassed a number of records,” Bielema said Tuesday night after the 30-28 win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. “I knew if we got this one that we’d not have to talk about these kind of numbers or read about other years anymore. Usually you either find yourself reading about history or writing history and this group is doing a lot of writing history.”

Run Offense
When asked to describe the game-winning 64-yard drive that led to David Olano’s 29-yard walk-off field goal, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer shrugged his shoulders before admitting