Football

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — When preseason camp is being conducted in August, Illinois is more than likely to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in 17 years.

And it’s not like coaches and players are walking around the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign looking for ways to downplay the preseason excitement and hype surrounding arguably the most important prove-it season of Illini football since the 2008 campaign that followed a Rose Bowl appearance.

The addition of cornerbacks coach Corey Parker and a new set of leadership personnel in the Illini secondary led to a much more organized and disciplined positional group in 2024.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 12, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Whatever buttons were pushed to make the Illinois secondary much less penalized in the 2024 season certainly was successful.

According to Pro Football Focus data, the three starting cornerbacks at Illinois (Tahveon Nicholson, Xavier Scott and Tyler Strain) were the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 10 most penalized players at their position in the Big Ten Conference in a 2023 season where they finished with a disappointing 5-7 record thanks to underperforming defensive execution. Enter defensive backs coach Corey Parker and his loud but detailed style of coaching and PFF data suggested Illinois didn’t have a single defensive back in the Top 10 in its positional group in penalties last season. The Illini finished the 2024 campaign just eighth in the 18-team Big Ten Conference in penalty yardage, just ahead of Big Ten Championship Game participants Oregon and Penn State, just a single season after being 13th in a 14-team league in penalty yards.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 12, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Good morning and welcome to the first 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.

It was a 45-minute viewing period that involved players in just helmets (no shoulder pads and just shorts on the lower body) with no full-team activities with only a short time being team stretching but here’s the quick notes:

At least 16 Illinois players will begin the spring practice session on the inactive list.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 11, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois will not be conducting a spring football game in 2025.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirmed on Tuesday during a local media conference that his program is going to have a intrasquad scrimmage game inside Memorial Stadium. The Illini are joining programs such as Nebraska and Texas to publicly cancel their annual spring game traditions for various and different reasons.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst March 10, […]

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular March 9, 2025 It […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 8, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois football program continues to build its 2026 recruiting class with another top in-state prospect. Casey Thomann, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle from Olney, Illinois, committed to Illinois early in the week, a decision that was expected, though the timing came as a surprise.

Thomann has visited the Fighting Illini a lot throughout his recruitment, consistently returning to campus. His first scholarship offer came from his home state program, which was a significant factor in his decision.

Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant becomes the second recipient […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema continues to add assistant coaches to his staff with the addition of Antonio James and James White.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 6, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — As Bret Bielema continues to reshape his staff of coaches at Illinois, Antonio James is getting the opportunity to return to his alma mater and the community he began his coaching career.

James was named the assistant defensive line coach on Wednesday where he joins Bielema’s staff from a Southern Illinois program, where he spent the last two seasons as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator.

The athletics director at the University of Illinois is asking for Congress to help structure college athletics but advocates against the employee model for athletes.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman spent Tuesday morning asking for congressional help to reform collegiate sports but only in a way that doesn’t give athletes the rights granted to employees.

Whitman, who as of April 2024 was elected chairperson of the NCAA Division I Council, testified at a hearing Tuesday in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is a subcommittee on commerce, manufacturing, and trade.

The broken leg of Dylan Rosiek in the last game Illinois would lose in the 2024 season forced first-year assistant coach Archie McDaniel to showcase little-used reserve athletes of his position room.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 5, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It only took one injury on the Illinois defense for discussion to turn toward confusion, nervousness and questions.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois football received a significant boost to its 2026 recruiting class as Casey Thomann, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle from Olney, Illinois, announced his commitment to the Illini.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 21, 2025

Just two years ago, many questioned Bret Bielema's ability to recruit top-tier talent. He had always done well with three-star prospects, which is by no means a bad thing—many top programs are built on three-star players, check rosters.

However, Illinois has capitalized on its recent success, and it's important to note that the program is no longer struggling to land high-profile recruits. What impresses me most as a recruiting analyst is hearing from the parents and players Illinois has beaten out for these commitments—and why they chose Illinois.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema valued preserving what continuity he had when needing to make another coaching change at the outside linebacker/pass rusher specialist spot of his staff.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 20, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Given the choice of continuity versus another national search for replacement assistant coach, Bret Bielema ultimately went with the idea of promoting a familiar face.

With Clint Sintim’s one-year tenure as outside linebackers coach ending when him eventually taking an open linebackers coaching job at Colorado State, Illinois star pass rusher Gabe Jacas was staring down the idea of having four different positional coaches during his four-year Illini playing career.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 19, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – AJ Marks, a 5-foot-11 defensive back from IMG Academy in the class of 2026, has named his top 10 schools that remain in contention for the three-star recruit.