Football

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema claims he recognizes that injuries decimating his program’s line play on both sides of the ball, similarly to what happened in 2023, can’t occur again. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 20, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois head football coach entered this past summer quietly worried about how thin their depth was on both sides of the line-of-scrimmage and that fear came to reality quickly into the 2023 campaign.

As long as he holds that position at the University of Illinois, Bret Bielema never wants to have that feeling again. 

The only question that remains for junior college signee Mario Sanders is how many different ways Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. will want to get him involved in the scheme. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Mario Sanders

Position: Wide Receiver 

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 190

Hometown: Minneapolis

Transfer: Iowa Central C.C.

Other offers: Eastern Kentucky, UNI, Sam Houston State, and Utah State.

The Illinois football coaching staff believes Sanders, who led all National Junior College Athletics Association players during this past 2023 season in receptions (72), finished second in receiving yards (942) and tied for first in receiving touchdowns (12), could be an instant impact slot receiver starting in the upcoming 2024 season. 

Trey Petty maintained his verbal pledge to Illinois for months despite being heavily pursued by local Southeastern Conference power programs. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Trey Petty

Position: Quarterback 

Height: 6-foot-0

Weight: 200

Hometown: Starkville, Miss.

High School: Starkville

Other offers: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Indiana, San Diego State, Southern Miss and Tulsa.

The talk of everybody outside of the Petty household was whether the Starkville (Miss.) High School quarterback would keep his commitment to Illinois. 

This talk however did not exist within the Petty household and the Smith Family Football Complex. 

Tanner Hollinger will be trying to make the leap from eight-man high school football in Nebraska to playing in the Big Ten Conference.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Tanner Hollinger

Position: Tight End

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 235

Hometown: Stromsburg, Neb.

High School: Cross County

Other offers: Air Force, Brown, Colgate, Northern Iowa, Yale and UAB.

In a similar fashion of Easton Baker’s recruitment from Utaht, nobody should expect Tanner Hollinger’s signing day news to result in a pipeline for the Illinois football program from Nebraska.

Hollinger, who played eight-man football at Cross County High School, is slated to be the first Illini football player from the state of Nebraska to earn a letter since Omaha native Leo Klein played right end in 1915-17.

Brandon Hansen is considered a lower-ranked prospect by this Illinois coaching staff mostly due to the fact that he ended his recruitment over 18 months ago.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Brandon Hansen 

Position: Offensive Tackle 

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 290

Hometown: Mundelein, Ill.

High School: Mundelein

Other offers: Wisconsin, Toledo, and Central Michigan.

It would be hard to find a 2024 prospect who Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is higher on his potential than the first verbal pledge of the class - Brandon Hansen. 

Angelo McCullom is part of much-needed large haul of projectable defensive linemen in the Illinois 2024 recruiting class. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Angelo McCullom 

Position: Defensive Line

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 260

Hometown: Lewis Center, Ohio

High School: Pickerington North

Other offers: Indiana, Akron, Toledo, Pittsburgh, and Western Michigan.

An injury in his junior season wasn’t going to deter Illinois defensive line coach Terrance Jamison from making Angelo McCullom a priority prospect that resulted in this signee to the 2024 recruiting class.

The large controversy surrounding former head coach Mel Tucker and a Michigan State program in flux allowed Illinois to be the beneficiary of its highest-ranked signee in the 2024 class.

By Matt Stevens -IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Andrew Dennis 

Position: Offensive Guard

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 275

Hometown: Mount Pleasant, Mich.

High School: Mt. Pleasant

Other offers: Clemson, Michigan State, Penn State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Missouri, Nebraska, and Purdue. 

The evidence that Illinois head coach Bret Bielema never forgets and continues to monitor the recruiting of committed prospects is the signing of Andrew “AJ” Dennis to the Illini’s 2024 class.

Ohio defensive line prospect Demetrius John was the product of a traditional recruiting strategy of Bret Bielema’s Illini program: Offer early, get them on a visit first and hang on to that commitment.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Demetrius John

Position: Defensive Line 

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 250

Hometown: Westerville, Ohio

High School: Dublin Coffman

Other offers: Akron, Ball State, Boston College, Indiana, Michigan State, and West Virginia.

 Demetrius John can feel solid about the idea that his recruitment went about as according to plan as Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has laid out the strategy for prospects this Illini staff identify as priority signees early on in the process. 

U.S. Army All-America Game selection Eddie Tuerk is announced as a defensive lineman to add value to a much-needed position group for the future of the Illinois program. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Eddie Tuerk 

Position: Defensive Line

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 275

Hometown: La Grange, Ill.

High School: Lyons Township

Other offers: Northwestern, Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Wisconsin.

Eddie Tuerk is another player where we had to wait until signing day to figure out what position he’ll play at Illinois. 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy J.C. Davis' page on X)

So much of the Illinois football staff's focus is on high school players during the early National Signing Day, but they made a splash in the middle of all of that with a commitment in the transfer portal. 

For the second straight recruiting class, the highest ranked prospect according to most online services comes at a familiar position - tailback - in the form of Ca'lil Valentine.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Ca'lil Valentine

Position: Running Back

Height: 6-foot-0

Weight: 180 

Hometown: Chandler, Ariz.

High School: Chandler

Other offers: Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, and Boston College.

For those who are still hopeful that Bret Bielema’s program will ditch the run game as their primary focus of offense, you can permanently forget having that thought.

The body, arm and even finger length of three-star outside linebacker Josaiah Knight is the moldable clay that Illinois assistant coach Charlie Bullen will instantly work with. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Josaiah Knight

Position: Edge

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 230

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

High School: Gadsden County

Other offers: Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Maryland, Missouri, Purdue, and Vanderbilt.

After specifically coaching the position in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and New York Giants, Bret Bielema knows their own aspect of an edge pass rusher no human being can teach:

Three-star linebacker Easton Baker is likely going to be the second ever Illinois football player from the state of Utah to earn a letter. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Easton Baker

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 215

Hometown: Tooele, Utah

High School: Stansbury

Other offers: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Brigham Young, and Arizona State.

Nobody would expect the recruitment of Baker to result in a pipeline for the Illinois football program. Why? The three-star prospect, who was committed to Brigham Young following his ninth grade season of football, is on pace to become the first Illini football player from the state of Utah to earn a letter since Samuel Doxey played center for the Illini in 1891.

Three-star outside linebacker Joe Barna selected the in-state option of Illinois after being highly pursued by Luke Fickell’s new staff at Wisconsin. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Joe Barna 

Position: Outside Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 240

Hometown: Wheaton, Ill.

High School: Wheaton North

Other offers: Wisconsin, Iowa State, Toledo, Purdue, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Ball State.

The biggest question about Joe Barna has essentially been answered on signing day morning. Barna, who has lined up as a tight end, defensive lineman and an edge rusher at the high school level, will be a outside linebacker at the college level when he arrives at Illinois. 

Chicago native Tysean Griffin will be continuing Illinois’ development of the slot wide receiver position as Isaiah Williams leaves for the NFL Draft. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 20, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Player: Tysean Griffin

Position: WR

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 165

Hometown: Chicago

High School: Morgan Park

Other offers: Arkansas, Boston College, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, Missouri, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Tysean Griffin used his June 12 birthday to commit to the University of Illinois program and 191 days ago, the Morgan Park High School athlete made his decision official.