Football

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 7, 2023 

There is an old saying about striking while the iron is hot.

Isaiah Adams, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema’s latest junior college biggest success story in his overall pilgrimage to restore the Illini offensive line, is returning to college for the 2023 season. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 7, 2023

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Arguably the most physically punishing Illinois offensive lineman in the 2022 season is returning for his final year of eligibility. 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Basketball Analyst

January 6, 2023

Illinois added its third four-star quarterback in two calendar years on Thursday as Luke Altmyer from Mississippi decided to join the trend of Mississippi natives coming to Champaign.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

January 6, 2023

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

A couple of 2025 updates and why Luke Altmyer is a good fit for what Illinois wants to do in this Farrell Files Illini edition.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

January 5, 2023

Owen Strebig, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive tackle from Catholic Memorial High School

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

January 4, 2023

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

The Illini lost their bowl game to an inspired Mississippi State team 19-10 and now the focus is on the portal.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

January 3, 2023

(Photos courtesy Steve Snider/IlliniGuys)

The Illini fell 19-10 to Mississippi State in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday in a game that they led for most of the afternoon before a couple of late scores flipped the script. The Bulldogs made numerous key plays late to set up a game winning field goal in the final seconds. The ‘desperado’ play by Illinois to end it led to a fumble return for a TD to give us the 19-10 final. 

Isaiah Williams had 9 catches for 114 yards, while Tommy DeVito hit on 23-34 passes for 253 yards, but the Illini failed to convert a key 3rd down with 2 minutes to play and allowed 7 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. 

Here’s what we saw…

Fourth-year sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Williams left little doubt who the most impressive athlete on the Raymond James Stadium turf was in Illinois’ first January bowl win since 1990. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 3, 2022

TAMPA, Fla. -- Since the day of the bowl announcement, Isaiah Williams kept saying how this experience felt different than his first postseason game experience three years ago. 

The Illinois tailback duo of Reggie Love and Josh McCray couldn’t make up the difference of a missing Doak Walker Award finalist. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 2, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Bret Bielema has brought the mentality to Illinois that “what we do” is producing 100-yard rushers but without the services of Chase Brown, the running game stalled in the Illini head coach’s first bowl game. 

Without Chase Brown, who elected to opt out of this bowl game and concentrate his efforts into the upcoming National Football League draft, the duo of Reggie Love and a notably healthy Josh McCray was not enough to make up the difference from the absence of the Big Ten Conference’s leading rusher. 

By IlliniGuys Staff January 2, 2023 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

January 2, 2023

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

The focus is on the bowl game of course and Illinois is unlike some other programs in this respect.

Game Preview: 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl - No. 22 Mississippi […]

January 2, 2023 The first ever IlliniGuys football picks […]

Illinois defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton played his high school football games just 30 minutes from Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. 

 By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 1, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Illinois’ star defensive lineman believes their will be a ‘Johnny Newton section’ decided to just him for the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl. 

Since the moment Illinois (8-4) was selected to play in Tampa for its bowl game against No. 22 Mississippi State (8-4) for the Illini’s first New Year’s bowl game since 2007, Newton has been acting as a ticket broker on the roster trying to manufacture and convince teammates to give me their allotment of tickets to play the final game of the 2022 season just 30 minutes from where he played high school football at Clearwater Central Catholic. 

Fenelus drove down to Tampa Friday night with his family and attended Illinois’ Saturday afternoon practice session. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

Illini defensive coordinator Aaron Henry (left) and defensive backs coach Antonio Fenelus (center) at the 2012 Rose Bowl news conference during their Wisconsin Badgers playing days. (Courtesy Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

December 31, 2022

TAMPA, Fla. -- As soon as Ryan Walters accepted the Purdue head coach job, Bret Bielema know the answer of who he’d be hiring and Saturday the Illinois second-year coach answered the question of why it was Antonio Fenelus. 

Fenelus, who will turn 33 years old on January 19, was a four-year letterwinner at safety for Wisconsin under Bielema as the Badgers head coach and the defensive back from Boca Raton shined as a senior in 2011 where earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors. However, it was Fenelus’ experience and perceived work ethic outside of being under Bielema’s purview that has made the Illini head coach want to bring his former player back on staff as soon as possible.