By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst'

March 11, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

This article got a lot easier to write when Xavier Scott returned and Coach Bielema gave a press conference at which he said that his new 3-3-5 could be played fairly similarly to his 2024 defense when the outside linebackers were pressed up on the line on every down and Matthew Bailey was lined up next to Dylan Rosiek as a virtual fifth linebacker. With Bailey and Scott returning, that clears up a lot because they can both fill the roles they did in 2024. I don't think those decisions have been made yet and it would be very un-Bielema to show his hand at this point anyway, but regardless there's no question that Bailey and Scott will be playing, and if the Illini play to their strengths that would mean they'll be in similar roles, leaving the third safety to be a true free safety and creating a blueprint for me to follow here.

Newcomers
Need a free safety? Well, here comes Lavon Williams. He's my favorite addition from the portal and a feisty little player who was very productive at East Texas A&M with a stellar 78 PFF grade to match. I wrote a spotlight piece on him and highlighted how he should be ready for playing time right away. However, I was also concerned about his true size and the Illini announced him at only 5'10, 180, which seems about right to me. He's a hitter who isn't afraid to throw his body around so ideally I'd put him at nickel safety but Xavier Scott's return locks up that position for 2026 so I'm projecting Williams at free safety. The only issue preventing that is Illinois has used its free safety as the green dot communicator and it would be odd to put a player there who hasn't played a Big Ten snap. Regardless, Williams is going to play somewhere so be ready to see this little playmaker somewhere on the field. Illinois also added a star recruit to this position room when Jacob Eberhart signed. Eberhart had offers from all of the top schools in the nation and had production and physicality to match. However, Illinois earned his commitment because it was able to offer a hybrid linebacker/ safety position to him whereas other schools wanted him to play pure linebacker. Matthew Bailey returns to claim that position in 2026, so look for a redshirt year from Eberhart. Isaiah Williams 3.0 will likely red shirt as well. At times he looked like a star in high school in Houston, but he's a bit of a wild card as far as translation to the Big Ten because, while he was playing against great competition, he wasn't always productive.

Holdovers
I already mentioned Tanner Heckel in the cornerbacks piece, but he deserves a mention in this group as well because his best position is probably safety. Joining him as a returning factor is Mac Resetich. Resetich has gotten plenty of chances at Illinois due to his athleticism, but he's fallen prey to several mental errors both against the run and pass. Resetich is a senior on paper but I would hope for him to return as a redshirt senior in 2027 and lead this unit. For 2026 I'd say he's the primary competition for Lavon Williams as a free safety since he's played there some in the past. Since the Illini have stacked up several solid recruiting classes, there are also quality returners who haven't had a chance to play yet at this position too. Andre Lovett and Dez Straughton have both had strong mentions in the offseason. Lovett was one of my favorites from the previous recruiting class and could be a great free or nickel safety. Straughton would be the most likely fit in the big safety sort of role that Bailey has played.

Departed
I think we're going to miss Miles Scott more than anyone realizes. He wasn't a star at Illinois, but he was a glue guy who the staff trusted to keep everyone lined up correctly on his way to earning a sterling 77 PFF grade. Scott will get a shot in the NFL and I'll be among many Illini fans pulling for him. The other departure was a real head scratcher for me. Saboor Karriem was one of the most surprising entrants into the portal from the Illini and he apparently didn't have much interest because he not only landed in the MAC, but at one of the worst schools in the MAC in Temple. Karriem earned the 14th most snaps on the defense and graded well and the fact that the Illini played him in the Music City Bowl when Bailey couldn't play shows the staff's confidence in him. My best guess is that Karriem followed some bad advice or wanted to be closer to his home in New Jersey. Either way, he's a loss.

Outlook
Despite the loss of Miles Scott, the Illini are returning an incredible amount of experience at the safety position in Matthew Bailey and Xavier Scott. Those two are going to fill two of the three starting slots and barring injury they're going to be the two snap leaders on the defense. Behind them you have Tanner Heckel, Mac Resetich and Lavon Williams competing for playing time, which still represents a lot of experience and more depth than any 3 safety team has a right to expect. So, even with a physically ready 4-star freshman in Eberhart and two quality players waiting their turn in Lovett and Straughton on board, those first five are going to be your safeties this year in some combination barring injuries or a meteoric rise from one of the youngsters. So, I have to ask myself: is this a 10/10 in confidence? I wish I could say so, but no. If we had Miles Scott returning, I'd be at the top of the scale, but I can't quite get there knowing that we're not only looking at an unproven starter at free safety, he's going to be lining guys up in a new defense. Either way, I've often said that the secret sauce in college football is maturity and experience, and the Illini have boatloads of both at this position. Give this group a 9 on the confidence scale. It's the strongest facet of this team.