Football

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

October 20th, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Dez'Mond Schuster's Twitter account)

Illinois has been courting junior college offensive linemen all across the country, today the Illinois staff landed a big-time prospect in Dez'Mond  Schuster.

Illinois has enough confidence in its abilities to see the talent and develop talent. That's the most popular buzz around the classes of 2023 and 2024. Illinois doesn't care about rankings, they see talent in players that others don't.

Illini running back Chase Brown is on nearly every […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

October 19, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Chicago Sun-Times)

The Illinois coaching staff was hoping for the news they got late last night. Malik Elzy, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound All-Starter from Chicago Simeon, is once again a big target after decommitting from Cincinnati.

Illini coach Bret Bielema has his team at 6-1, […]

A few Illinois nuggets on the recruiting trail as they offer new JUCO prospects and are recruiting teammates of ’23 priority Jyaire Hill.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

October 18, 2022

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

Following a hot start to the season, Illini football has a growing issue on their hands.

(From the University of Illinois Sports Information Department)   […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

October 18, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

As I write this, Illinois Football is basking in the glow if it's #18 ranking in the nation and is looking at a week off to get healthy before heading to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers in two weeks.   I have to be honest here, I am enjoying writing these trench reports more and more as the Illini football program gets rolling because as I re-watch the game and take it apart piece by piece every week I get more and more encouraged by what I'm seeing.  The Illini coaching staff and players are really growing together right now and it certainly shows on the field.

Tommy DeVito showed another side to himself that was already evident from his time at Syracuse but seen first-hand on Saturday: toughness. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 17, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois got an injection of New Jersey tough on Saturday before quarterback Tommy DeVito got a long introduction to the training room inside the Smith Football Center. When the Illini quarterback arrived at the Smith Center on the morning of Oct. 9, just hours after being knocked out of the 9-6 win over Iowa, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema knew his player was serious about his treatment schedule - and maybe nothing else. 

“So, Tommy rolls up on Sunday and he’s got a black fleece robe, a pair of eye shades on up on forehead, a slipper on one foot and a boot on the other and a bag of (McDonald’s) and I told him that you look like a guy right out of ‘The Breakfast Club’, right out of the movie,” Bielema said Saturday. “Of course, he didn’t have any idea what that movie was.” 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

October 17, 2022

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

Following a surprising 6-1 start to the 2022 season, Illini football has newfound swagger on the recruiting trail.

Illinois ranked in both the Associated Press Top 25 […]

Mike Cagley, Co-Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular October […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and certain star players are already campaigning for Chase Brown’s Heisman Trophy candidacy.  

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 15, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bret Bielema holds a marketing degree from the University of Iowa and is already trying to use those skills to increase the national viability of his star tailback into the Heisman Trophy discussion. 

Following Illinois’ 26-14 victory over Minnesota, Bielema said he’s already been in contact with national writers, Heisman voters and national commentators with influence about the nation’s leading rusher.
“I get it,” Bielema said Saturday. “There’s a lot of preseason rankings where players and teams had a lot of hype before the season but I reached out to as many contacts as I had about how special this young man is.” 

October 15, 2022 The Illini defense held Iowa to […]

Despite suffering a severe ankle injury last week vs. […]

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Staff

October 15, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Anyone with the basic ability to search the internet knows about the recent history of Illinois football.  And to that end, Bret Bielema knew what he was inheriting when he said 'yes' to athletic director Josh Whitman in December 2020.

The glory days of Illini football were so long ago, many of the students on campus then are now grandparents.  In fact, in 1989 - when John Mackovic was leading the Illini to a 10-win season - Bielema himself was a teenaged Iowa defensive lineman proudly getting a Hawkeye tattoo.

The point is...it's been a while. I predicted last year that on our IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular syndicated radio show that Illinois might build a statue of Bielema if he puts together back-to-back eight-win seasons and I was only half kidding.  His tattoo has probably aged better than Illinois football, which has seen only one 10-win campaign in the three decades since Mackovic skipped town.