Football

Illinois will return all five starters from the 2024 season but also seven of the 10 offensive linemen who were on the travel roster.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 31, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bret Bielema has said and will likely say throughout the remaining months of this offseason that he did not spend Christmas Eve with his wife and two young daughters.

Instead of being with his family on Dec. 24, the head coach of the University of Illinois football program elected to take the private plane from Willard Airport in Savoy authorized to him in his contract by the Illinois athletics department for recruiting trips to visit arguably the most important person for his 2025 roster.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

January 31, 2025

There are bad losses throughout a season and one of them came on Thursday night in Lincoln, when Illinois fell to Nebraska 80-74 in OT. The Huskers had lost 6 straight and although many think they are a bubble team; this was a brutal loss for Illinois. Not because of Nebraska, but because of the way Illinois played. Poor 1st half shooting, followed by 11 second half turnovers killed Illinois, and yet they still found a way to force overtime before they went cold again and shot 0-8 from 3 in the extra period.

The Illini are now 6-5 in Big Ten play and they look like a team and coaching staff that is befuddled by what they are seeing and experiencing. Yes, the loss of Ivisic hurts, but this team still has talent and the ability to play better than this, win or lose.

Deep Thoughts

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 31, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's page on X)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A major statement could be made across the Big Ten, Midwest and the college football landscape if Illinois lands the state's top recruit, Morgan Park's 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver Nasir Rankin.

The return of Cole Rusk from a severe knee injury a few weeks before the start of last season may mean more big packages in the Illini offense in 2025.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 29, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Bonnie Ryan/Associated Press)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Imagine preparing your offense to be big with a veteran quarterback, numerous options at the tailback spot, a pair of physical wide receivers and a pair of contrasting styles but complimentary tight ends. This was Illinois plan in going into August 2024.

And then Cole Rusk’s knee gave out in a non-contact drill and everything about what Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and tight ends coach Robby Discher had prepared for was scrapped.

IlliniGuys.com can confirm the ESPN.com report that former Ball […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 29, 2025

Illinois remained hot on the recruiting trail when Lincoln Way West Edge Rusher Jacob Alexander pledged to the Illini on Monday.  Alexander was among a large group of recruits in Champaign for the Junior Day weekend last weekend and we hope he is merely the first of many commitments from the weekend.  As for Alexander himself, he is a 6'4 240 pounder who plays in a sort of DE/ OLB hybrid for Lincoln Way, and though he only had 36 tackles and 5 sacks last year and merited only a mid 3 star ranking from the recruiting services, I like him more than most.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 27, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After another visit to Champaign, edge rusher Jacob Alexander had seen enough. It was time to let the rest of the country know that he will be playing football for the University of Illinois.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 26, 2025

Illinois closed the deal with wide receiver Kenyon Alston on Orlando's Bishop Moore High School on Wednesday.  Alston had long been rumored to be an Illinois lean, so much so that fellow Class of 2026 QB Michael Clayton has been talking about him as a future teammate from the time of Clayton's commitment.  Alston is a big time get whose high 3 star ranking is a bit misleading given that he has 20+ high major offers including Florida State and Miami.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema declined to get into specifics about assistant coaching contracts and was vague about staff retention for the 2025 season. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 26, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When it comes to the topic of retention of his 2024 coaching staff, Bret Bielema refused to get into specifics and was intentionally vague in his first media session in nearly a month. 

The Illinois head coach claimed Sunday he “for the most part, feel really good about” about the 10 primary assistant coaches to be back on his Illini staff when spring practices begin in late March and early April. 

Illinois loses productive receivers Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin but intends to make up their contribution with depth in the receivers room instead of instantly ready alpha personalities.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 25, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The irony of why Justin Stepp needed a change of scenery when he made the move from South Carolina to Illinois was his ability as a recruiter.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer wanted what he believed was a more dynamic recruiter in that role and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema believed that is exactly who he was getting when he took Stepp away from the Gamecocks coaching staff.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 24, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Orlando Sentinel)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois wide receivers coach Justin Stepp is standing out from the competition when it comes to securing talented recruits for the future of Illinois football.

The most recent addition to the Illini roster is Kenyon Alston, a 6-foot-2, 172-pound wide receiver from Orlando, Florida. Alston chose Illinois over offers from some of the top programs in college football, including Baylor, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Iowa State, Missouri, Penn State, Mississippi State, and West Virginia. These were no mere courtesy offers—these programs made substantial efforts to land Alston.

IlliniGuys spoke with Alston shortly after his commitment for an exclusive Q&A session.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 23, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's page on X)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini continue to build their class of 2026, which is shaping up to be a promising group. Kenyon Alston, a 6-foot-2, 172-pound wide receiver from Bishop More Catholic High School in Orlando, Florida, announced his commitment to Illinois on Thursday afternoon.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 23, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — All indications suggest that the Fighting Illini football program is trending upward in its pursuit of Kenyon Alston, a 6-foot-2, 172-pound wide receiver from Orlando, Florida.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 22, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Associated Press)

First, I have to come clean for those of you who may remember our discussion last year: I was against the 12 team CFP. I thought the BCS was a sufficient way to crown a national champion and that:

1. There was too much risk of injury to star players

2. It would devalue the rest of the bowls too much, and

3. The current system was a fair enough way to crown a champion given that we had a good final four last year and usually did so. I remember typing the words "There is rarely a fifth team that has a genuine case at inclusion in the BCS, and there is basically never a sixth, seventh or eighth team that has a case."

The tailback room will likely be the position group with the most experienced depth on the Illinois offense when they open up preseason camp in August.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 22, 2025

(NOTE: This analysis is only a review of where the Illinois roster stands in mid-January and should not be served as a preview of what the Illini’s positional depth will look like by the time preseason practice opens in early August.)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When asked about his priorities a week before Christmas for the transfer portal as he was gathering players for the 2025 season while also preparing for the upcoming Citrus Bowl, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema detailed exactly what wasn’t on his list.