Football

Ked's Recruiting Roundup: Illinois Receives Commitment From Florida LB Tony Williams

Ked's Recruiting Roundup: Illinois Receives Commitment From Florida LB Tony Williams

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting April […]

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New Illini Punter Keelan Crimmins Hoping He’s Found Team Success in Transfer Portal

New Illini Punter Keelan Crimmins Hoping He’s Found Team Success in Transfer Portal

Former Mississippi State and Purdue punter Keelan Crimmins represents the only new kicking member of the Illinois special teams unit for the 2025 season. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 12, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Keelan Crimmins has done a lot of things as a two-year starting punter at two different programs in his college career since the then-22-year-old arrived in the United States from the highly popular Prokick Australia program. 

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Football Recruiting Spotlight on Javari Barnett

Football Recruiting Spotlight on Javari Barnett

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

April 10, 2025

Illinois continued its run of running backs from the Sunshine State when 6-foot, 205-pound Javari Barnett of Tampa Tech pledged to the Illini Sunday to break the Illini hoops stranglehold on recruiting news.  Barnett drew early offers from some of the biggest names in college football early on, but when he sprained a knee ligament in the third game of his junior year the recruiters from schools like Alabama, Tennessee, USC and Penn State backed off while Illinois continued to make Barnett a priority.  The continued attention paid off for the Illini with the commitment from the prototypical 21st century running back.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

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Florida Continues to Be Kind to Illinois as Illini Receive Commitment from Javari Barnett

Florida Continues to Be Kind to Illinois as Illini Receive Commitment from Javari Barnett

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

April 6, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The state of Florida has been very kind to the Fighting Illini football program under the Bret Bielema era. On Sunday, Illinois received a commitment from Javari Barnett, a three-star running back from Tampa Bay, Florida.

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Waiver Request For TeRah Edwards’ Sixth Season Denied by NCAA Eligibility Center

Waiver Request For TeRah Edwards’ Sixth Season Denied by NCAA Eligibility Center

TeRah Edwards college football career is officially over after the NCAA Eligibility Center ruled the Illini defensive tackle does not qualify for a waiver exemption for the upcoming 2025 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The waiver request submitted by the University of Illinois compliance office on behalf of defensive lineman TeRah Edwards was denied by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

In a university statement released Thursday morning, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed his office received the news of Edwards’ waiver appeal denial “last week”. Bielema said on March 13 during his Illini Pro Day media session inside the Smith Family Football Complex that paperwork has been filed to the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to potentially get Edwards another year of eligibility in college football.

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Update on Illini Tight End Cole Rusk

Update on Illini Tight End Cole Rusk

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 30, 2015

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Former Rock Island standout Cole Rusk was an exceptional wide receiver in high school, but due to his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, he has developed into a major asset as a tight end.

Hopefully, he'll be able to do that for Illini Offensive Coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.'s system this fall.

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How Matt Bailey’s “calming presence” Keys Illini Safety Room in 2025

How Matt Bailey’s “calming presence” Keys Illini Safety Room in 2025

Illinois doesn’t have many healthy safeties for the 2025 spring season is a major reason Bret Bielema doesn’t wish to participate in a intra-squad scrimmage due to depth concerns.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 30, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — With all the offseason surgeries affecting the defensive backs, Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry doesn’t have a robust list of healthy bodies this spring in his safeties and nickel cornerbacks meeting room.

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2025 Spring Football Practice Report No. 2 (Practice No. 5): IHSA Coaching Clinic Night Provides Look For Some Surprise Risers For Illini

2025 Spring Football Practice Report No. 2 (Practice No. 5): IHSA Coaching Clinic Night Provides Look For Some Surprise Risers For Illini

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Good evening and welcome to the fifth spring football practice for the Illinois program for the 2025 season in the fifth campaign of Illini head coach Bret Bielema begins in the early hours at Memorial Stadium.

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Special Teams Star Ryan Meed Impresses at Illini Pro Day Workouts

Special Teams Star Ryan Meed Impresses at Illini Pro Day Workouts

Former Illinois sixth-year linebacker Ryan Meed put up numbers comparable to the highest ranked draft-eligle linebackers at the Illini Pro Day workouts earlier this month.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 27, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The only thing more impressive than watching Ryan Meed perform the track and field drill portion of the Illinois Pro Day workouts was watching his Illini teammates react in real time to his numbers.

Whether it was Meed’s 4.51-second 40-yard dash time, which would've been third among all linebackers invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, or the 37.5-inch vertical jump, which would've been sixth among all linebackers at Scouting Combine) or the 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, which would have been third among all linebackers at Scouting Combine, the vocal reaction by his peers to the show being put on by Meed inside the Illinois indoor facility of the Smith Family Football Complex was audible.

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"I Got the Offer From Coach (Brad) Underwood" - Nasir Rankin, No. 1 Football Prospect in 2026

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 27, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini's head coaches, Brad Underwood of the men's basketball program and Bret Bielema of the football team, appear to be teaming up to land the state's top football recruit, Nasir Rankin. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound athlete, who stars as a wide receiver, is also one of Illinois' top five basketball prospects in his class.

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Jordan Anderson Moves From Tailback to Tight End

Jordan Anderson Moves From Tailback to Tight End

Illinois third-year athlete Jordan Anderson is working full-time in the tight end room this spring after spending his first two seasons with the Illini at running back.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March8 26, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Jordan Anderson has officially moved closer to the line-of-scrimmage in the Illinois offense.

The third-year athlete has officially been moved from tailback to tight end. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed the positional move is permanent in his media session inside the Smith Family Football Complex following the Illini’s fourth spring practice of the 2025 season.

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Illini Football Assistant Coach Contracts Set For Board of Trustees Approval on Thursday

Illini Football Assistant Coach Contracts Set For Board of Trustees Approval on Thursday

Barry Lunney Jr. and Aaron Henry are both set to become the program’s first ever pair of seven-figure coordinators when Board of Trustees approves their three-year contract extensions.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 19, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — The nine Illinois football assistant coaches who are set to Bret Bielema’s staff for the upcoming 2025 season are likely to officially have new deals by Thursday afternoon.

The new, multi-year contract extensions for all of the Illini assistants except the newly promoted outside linebackers coach Trent Harris are on the agenda for the University of Illinois Board of Trustees meeting slated to begin at 8 a.m. CST in Springfield.

Bielema, who enters his fifth season as the Illini head coach, remained confident and steadfast that the contracts for his assistant coaches would make it to a Board of Trustees meeting long before the end of spring practices concluded in April.

“For me and my staff, the core group of guys (along with) my 10 main coaches for the most part, I feel really good about all of those guys being back in the mix,” Bielema said on Jan. 26. “I think all of those [contracts] will likely be announced sooner rather than later pending [Board of Trustees] approval so working through the things there.”

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Ked's Recruiting Roundup: Illinois Working on the 2027 Football Recruiting Class with Another Offer to Trey Haralson

Ked's Recruiting Roundup: Illinois Working on the 2027 Football Recruiting Class with Another Offer to Trey Haralson

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 15, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy MaxPreps)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 2026 football recruiting class for the Fighting Illini is progressing as well as anyone could expect. It has even garnered national attention, with the long-time Rivals.com network ranking the class ninth in the country.

Illinois currently sits ahead of traditional powerhouse programs such as Penn State, Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, and Alabama.

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Pat Bryant Stands By His NFL Combine Time & Declines to Run 40 At Illini Pro Day

Pat Bryant Stands By His NFL Combine Time & Declines to Run 40 At Illini Pro Day

Former Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant participated in positional drills at Pro Day workout in front of scouts from 30 NFL teams.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Pat Bryant has elected to stand on the merit of his workout times and numbers from the National Football League Scouting Combine two weeks ago in Indianapolis.

Bryant, a 2024 first-team All-Big Ten Conference by The Associated Press, declined the opportunity to do any of the track and field activities during the Illinois Pro Day workouts inside the indoor facility of the Smith Family Football Complex.

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Illini Filed For Eligibility Waiver For DT TeRah Edwards

Illini Filed For Eligibility Waiver For DT TeRah Edwards

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed Thursday his coaching staff has filed for a waiver with the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to get TeRah Edwards eligible to play college football in 2025.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN  — Paperwork has been filed to the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to get TeRah Edwards another year of eligibility in college football. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed the news on Thursday during his Illini Pro Day media session inside the Smith Family Football Complex. IlliniGuys.com has attempted to contact an NCAA Eligibility Center spokesperson on the nature of the waiver filed by Illinois but NCAA personnel typically refrain from public comments before an eligibility case has been ruled upon. 

“(Edwards) has declared for the NFL Draft but we still have an appeal pending out for him. We’re holding out hope for a ‘Hail Mary’ there at the end to get him back with us,” Bielema said Thursday. “It’s fully underway and with the NCAA and how it all works. I just wished it all had a reason. TeRah played five games that he should’ve been able to redshirt in.” 

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