Football

South Carolina confirms another player opt-out and injury concerns leading into Citrus Bowl matchup vs. Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 29, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — A day after he signed his third full recruiting class to Illinois, Bret Bielema couldn’t help but mention some programs across the country that paid a lot of money in roster salary but didn’t make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

However, while knowing his Illini program have not put up nearly that kind of financial capital for the upcoming 2025 season, Bielema is putting the internal expectations inside the Smith Family Football Complex at being in a playoff game at this time one year from now.

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry only had one specific word to describe South Carolina quarterback and SEC Freshman of the Year LaNorris Sellers - different.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy ESPN)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Based off what Illinois safety Miles Scott has been watching on preparation film of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, maybe it’s fitting this Citrus Bowl will be played about 20 miles from Disney World.

When Scott, a team captain and the player who will hear the communication from Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry on Tuesday for the game, decided to watch the most recent offensive play of South Carolina’s season, he had thoughts that it wasn’t real life.

Without the services of All-Big Ten selection Pat Bryant, Illinois wide receivers should expect this Citrus Bowl to serve as a jump-off point for their future development.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant is expected to be back with his college teammates for Citrus Bowl practices this weekend…as a spectator.

Former Alabama head coach Mike Shula will call plays for South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl in his debut as Gamecocks new offensive coordinator hire. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — When the NCAA Division I Board of Directors officially agreed to a waiver for former junior college players, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema knew exactly where he was spending Christmas Eve. 

Immediately following the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, composed of university presidents, announcing a waiver had been granted for former junior college players who had exhausted their eligibility with this 2024-25 season, Bielema scheduled a private jet flight to Oakland Calif., to spend the day before Christmas with J.C. Davis and his family. 

Justin Stepp’s first season on Bret Bielema’s coaching staff will end with him going up against his most recent former employer in the 2024 Citrus Bowl matchup.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — Not likely in his wildest imagination would Justin Stepp believe that he’d be on the opposite sideline of his most recent former boss in the final game of his first season at Illinois.

However, this will be the exact situation as Stepp, who was hired as the new wide receivers coach in February by Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, and the entire No. 20 Illini squad will play No. 15 South Carolina on New Year’s Eve on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CST on ABC.

In his first Citrus Bowl media conference from inside the Smith Family Football Complex, Bielema made no secret about how much Stepp would love the opportunity, maybe more than anybody on this Illini staff, to knock off the Gamecocks to provide Illinois its 10th win in a season for the first time since 2001.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 27, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema has tapped into the Wisconsin football program to address key needs for the 2025 season.

Under Bielema and his coaching staff, the Illini have utilized the transfer portal strategically—not to rebuild the roster, but to fill critical gaps. When backup quarterback Donovan Leary entered the transfer portal, Illinois quickly secured a strong replacement in Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton.

Illinois guard Zy Crisler was one of two Illini players given a waiver by the NCAA to play in the 2025 season after being junior college transfers.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite being in the transfer portal, Illinois offensive lineman Zy Crisler made the trip with the team to Orlando and is slated to play in the Citrus Bowl.

December 27, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy South Carolina Athletics)

#20 Illinois faces 15th ranked South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl at Orlando's Camping World Stadium next Tuesday. It's a matchup of 9-win teams and programs that haven't seen consistent success over the years. A win on New Year's Eve would give Carolina only its fourth 10-win season ever, while an Illinois victory would be just the fifth double-digit win campaign in Illini history.

Who are the Gamecocks?  Here's what the locals are saying about the team:

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 25, 2024

Regardless of what happens with Tomiwa Durojaiye (Du Ro Jie ee) in the future, let's all pause and appreciate this moment because Durojaiye will have completed the P4 Yahtzee once he joins the Illinois football team.

James Thompson Jr., a two-year defensive lineman starter at Wisconsin, has elected to spend his final season of college football playing for Bret Bielema’s Illini as a graduate transfer in the upcoming 2025 season. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 25, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Christmas Day represented the biggest and most important gift for the Illinois football program. 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 25, 2024

Illinois took its time before jumping into the transfer portal waters, but now that they're in, the portal commitments are coming rapidly.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 24, 2024

One of the glaring options on Illinois' offseason football shopping list was an additional wide receiver, and the Illini checked off that item when they took a commitment from Ball State wide receiver Justin Bowick on Saturday.  Bowick is a big and fairly fast wide receiver at 6'4, 200 and would make a nice target for Luke Altmyer in 2025.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]

The addition of Tomiwa Durojaiye continues the philosophy of finding developmental talent who have yet to reach their potential out of the transfer portal.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 23, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Ben Spicer/Warchant)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football program continue to show the philosophy of being a developmental power conference program can and should also exist with transfer portal additions.

Illinois added to this ideology of slow, multi-year program building Monday with the reported addition of defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 23, 2024

I hope you're all enjoying the first part of portal season as Northern Illinois' Ethan Hampton switched his commitment from Wake Forest to Illinois to provide Illinois with some veteran depth at quarterback for at least the 2025 season.  Hampton started at NIU for a memorable 2024 season that featured the only victory over Notre Dame this year.  Most Illini fans will look at fellow senior MAC transfer John Paddock from the 2023 season and like Hampton's switch to that situation.  However, the truth is Hampton is a bigger addition than Paddock.  Much bigger.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?