Illinois Fighting Illini
Big Ten
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #24
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 12.9 (#24)
- SP+ Offense
- 33.3
- SP+ Defense
- 21.7
- SRS
- 12.3
- FPI
- 10.0
- Elo
- 1595
- Talent
- 662
- Recruiting
- 230 (#24)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
7.5p10 6.0 — p90 9.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.7% | |
| Make CFP | 5.2% | |
| Quarterfinal | 1.8% | |
| Semifinal | 0.4% | |
| Natl. final | 0.1% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 7.6–4.4
Schedule
45th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
52nd
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
42nd
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsUAB | -15.8 | 39-14 | +24.4 | 93% | — |
| 2 | vsDuke | +6.6 | 30-18 | +11.4 | 76% | — |
| 3 | vsSouthern Illinois | FCS | 47-3* | +44.3 | 100% | — |
| 4 | @Ohio State | +30.1 | 15-37 | -22.1 | 9% | — |
| 5 | vsPurdue | -6.1 | 34-19 | +14.4 | 81% | — |
| 6 | @Michigan State | -3.4 | 31-21 | +9.5 | 72% | — |
| 8 | vsOregon | +25.9 | 23-31 | -8.4 | 30% | — |
| 9 | @Maryland | +0.6 | 32-24 | +7.4 | 67% | — |
| 10 | vsNebraska | +6.2 | 32-25 | +7.8 | 68% | — |
| 11 | @UCLA | -8.7 | 32-24 | +7.5 | 67% | — |
| 12 | vsIowa | +19.7 | 29-31 | -2.1 | 45% | — |
| 13 | @Northwestern | +5.8 | 29-28 | +1.7 | 54% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 2
2026 · 59
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Katin Houser← East Carolina | SR | 6'3" | 225 | ★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Luke Altmyer | SR | 6'2" | 205 | ★★★★ |
Running Backs · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Ca'Lil Valentine | SO | 5'11" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Kaden Feagin | JR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | Aidan Laughery | JR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
Wide Receivers · 10
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATH | — | Maurice Smith← Chowan | — | — | — | — |
| WR | 1st | Jayshon Platt← Florida Atlantic | JR | 6'1" | 195 | ★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Hank Beatty | SR | 5'11" | 185 | ★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Alex Perry← Florida International | JR | 6'5" | 210 | ★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Collin Dixon | SO | 6'1" | 210 | — |
| WR | 5th | Hudson Clement | JR | 6'1" | 205 | — |
| WR | 6th | Ty Robinson← Ball State | JR | 6'4" | 202 | ★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Alexander Capka-Jones | SR | 6'4" | 190 | — |
| WR | — | Karson Kaiser | FR | 6'1" | 170 | — |
| WR | — | Eddie Kasper← Illinois State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Tanner Arkin | SR | 6'4" | 265 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Jordan Anderson | JR | 6'4" | 240 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Davin Stoffel | SO | 6'6" | 260 | — |
| TE | 4th | Christian Abney | JR | 6'6" | 255 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Josh Gesky | SR | 6'5" | 325 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Christian Martin← Colorado State | SO | 6'6" | 270 | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | James Thompson Jr. | SR | 6'6" | 300 | ★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Darrell Prater← Jacksonville State | JR | 6'3" | 300 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Pat Farrell | SO | 6'5" | 280 | — |
| DL | 4th | Isaiah Thomison← Bowling Green | SO | 6'3" | 280 | ★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Gentle Hunt | SR | 5'11" | 305 | — |
| DL | — | Connor Sullivan← Washington State | FR | 6'4" | 270 | ★★★ |
| DL | — | Darrell Prater← Jacksonville State | FR | 6'3" | 255 | ★★★ |
| DL | — | Carter Janki← Pennsylvania | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | William Holmes← Utah State | SO | 6'4" | 245 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 12
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Dylan Rosiek | SR | 6'1" | 235 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Robert Edmonson← Colorado State | SO | 6'3" | 210 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | James Kreutz | JR | 6'2" | 225 | ★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Alec Bryant | SR | 6'3" | 250 | — |
| LB | 5th | Leon Lowery Jr. | SR | 6'3" | 245 | ★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Kenenna Odeluga | SR | 6'1" | 235 | — |
| LB | 7th | Joe Barna | SO | 6'4" | 265 | ★★★ |
| LB | 8th | Daniel Brown | JR | 6'1" | 250 | — |
| LB | 9th | Ismael Kante | JR | 6'2" | 225 | — |
| LB | 10th | Luke Zardzin | SR | 6'0" | 225 | — |
| LB | 11th | Grant Beerman | FR | 6'5" | 220 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 12th | Carter Smith | FR | 6'3" | 215 | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Deuce Fillmore← Georgia State | JR | 5'10" | 190 | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Matthew Bailey | JR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★ |
| DB | 2nd | Torrie Cox Jr. | SR | 5'9" | 170 | ★★★ |
| DB | 3rd | Tanner Heckel | SO | 5'11" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 4th | Jaheim Clarke | JR | 6'1" | 175 | ★★★ |
| DB | 5th | Mac Resetich | JR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| DB | 6th | Tyler Strain | SR | 5'9" | 195 | ★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Xavier Scott | SR | 5'11" | 190 | ★★★ |
| DB | 8th | Tyson Rooks | JR | 6'4" | 205 | ★★★ |
| DB | 9th | Andre Lovett Jr. | FR | 6'1" | 175 | ★★★ |
| DB | 10th | Grayson Griffin | SR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
| DB | 11th | Ben Clawson | JR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| S | 1st | James Finley← Northern Illinois | FR | 6'1" | 183 | ★★★★ |
| S | — | Lavon Williams← East Texas A&M | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 1st | Ethan Moczulski← Washington | JR | 5'11" | 190 | ★★★ |
| LS | — | Zach Haber← Arkansas | SO | 5'10" | 200 | — |
| P | 1st | Keelan Crimmins | SR | 6'3" | 225 | — |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
7.6
Exp. Losses
4.4
Toss-ups
2
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
33.381
Off PPA
+0.2176
Pass PPA
+0.4088
Rush PPA
+0.0943
Success
48%90
Explosive
1.1615
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.21 | +0.19 |
| Passing | +0.40 | +0.30 |
| Rushing | +0.09 | +0.08 |
| 1st Down | +0.03 | +0.02 |
| 2nd Down | +0.33 | +0.14 |
| 3rd Down | +0.46 | +0.61 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
29.3
PPG Against
23.3
Differential
+6.1
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 8-4
- Home
- 6-1
- Away
- 2-3
- Conference
- 5-4
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 2-0
- Avg Margin
- +6.1
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 6-1 | 31.3 | 14.4 |
| Away | 2-3 | 26.6 | 35.6 |
| Neutral | 1-0 | 30.0 | 28.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 2-3 | 23.0 | 39.8 |
| Conference | 5-4 | 24.1 | 28.6 |
| Non-conference | 4-0 | 41.3 | 12.5 |
Season History · last 12
1 AP top-10 · 5 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8-4 | 5-4 | #24 | #9 | 1-0 |
| 2024 | 9-3 | 6-3 | #31 | #16 | 1-0 |
| 2023 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #75 | — | — |
| 2022 | 8-4 | 5-4 | #17 | #14 | 0-1 |
| 2021 | 5-7 | 4-5 | #64 | — | — |
| 2020 | 2-6 | 2-6 | #90 | — | — |
| 2019 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #60 | — | 0-1 |
| 2018 | 4-8 | 2-7 | #97 | — | — |
| 2017 | 2-10 | 0-9 | #96 | — | — |
| 2016 | 3-9 | 2-7 | #94 | — | — |
| 2015 | 5-7 | 2-6 | #68 | — | — |
| 2014 | 6-6 | 3-5 | #68 | — | 0-1 |
Recent Form · last 5
4-1 SU · 2-1 ATS · O0/U4
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 9-4 |
| ATS | 7-4-164% |
| Over / Under | 5-7 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 6-1 |
| As underdog | 1-3 |
| Home | 5-1 |
| Away | 2-3 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #53 · 18 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★149 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #24 | 230 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 2025 | #45 | 203 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2024 | #49 | 199 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| 2023 | #38 | 206 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| 2022 | #46 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 2021 | #73 | 159 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2020 | #87 | 153 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2019 | #53 | 184 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 2018 | #54 | 186 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
| 2017 | #46 | 185 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 19net -8Out 27
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.1 / 3.1
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | James Finley | S | 4★ | ← Northern Illinois |
| ▲ | Katin Houser | QB | 3★ | ← East Carolina |
| ▲ | Robert Edmonson | LB | 3★ | ← Colorado State |
| ▲ | Darrell Prater | DL | 3★ | ← Jacksonville State |
| ▼ | Tomiwa Durojaiye | DL | 4★ | → South Carolina |
| ▼ | Cole Rusk | TE | 4★ | → Arizona |
| ▼ | Justin Bowick | WR | 4★ | → Oklahoma State |
| ▼ | Angelo McCullom | DL | 3★ | → Texas A&M |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Illinois football has one of the biggest transfer portal steals based on gradesWhile some people might be counting Illinois football out, recent ratings have shown that we may have landed the steal of the transfer portal.ILL1d
- Illinois Gets Commitment From Three-Star Cornerback Trezavant Boyd: What It MeansBret Bielema landed his 16th player for the 2027 recruiting class after three-star cornerback Trezavant Boyd (Miami Central) committed to Illinois on Wednesday.ILL3d
- Illinois awards AD Josh Whitman with extension, raiseIllinois athletic director Josh Whitman received a contract extension through 2036 that includes a significant raise.ILL4d
- Bret Bielema ready to take on the big boys to build Illinois football in 2028The Illinois football program continues to build for the future by extending an offer to this highly-touted three-star defensive lineman.ILL5d
- Florida keeps delivering as Illinois football lands big-time recruit over national powersIllinois football has some big-time recruits committed for 2027, and we added to the famILLy on Wednesday afternoon.ILL5d
- 5 Bold Predictions for Illinois Football in 2026The Illini enter a new era at quarterback and on defense in 2026, which promises some uncertainty - but also potential opportunityILL5d
- Can't Wait For Saturday Bielema makes bowl bids, winning seasons part of Illini expectationsJul. 15— Once again, I will represent the state of Illinois on The Associated Press AP Top 25 panel. It is an honor and one of my favorite parts of the job I have been doing for 38 years. Of course, some of you won't like how I rank the teams each week and that's cool. We are all entitled to your opinions. I will take any criticism you want to deliver. If you make a convincing argument, I will ...ILL5d
- Illinois football recruiting disappointments that will make your stomach turnHistorically, Illinois football hasn't been a recruiting powerhouse, but there are some big wins that have turned out to be more disappointing than anything.ILL6d
- Florida has been clutch in biggest Illinois football recruiting wins of the past decadeThere have been some pretty big recruiting wins for the Illinois football program, and the Sunshine State has aided in the process.ILL7d
- Is Illinois' College Football Playoff Window Still Cracked Open?Is there still a path for the Illini to sneak into the College Football Playoff, or will the program's near future be limited to secondary bowl berths?ILL9d
- Bret Bielema is keeping receipts for the lack of respect being shown to Illinois of lateThe Illinois head coach is making sure to keep all the receipts.ILL10d
- Illinois Gets Commitment From Defensive Back Darryl Flemister: What It MeansFlemister, a three-star defensive back from Detroit, further bolstered coach Bret Bielema's 2027 recruiting class by committing to the IlliniILL11d
- Latest 2027 Big Ten recruiting rankings have Bret Bielema falling from graceIllinois is nearly in the basement of the Big Ten 2027 recruiting rankings.ILL12d
- Illinois workout video proves Bret Bielema is getting his team right for the 2026 seasonIllinois could be a sleeping giant in the Big Ten this season.ILL13d
- St. Laurence’s Sean Rice goes from mid-major prospect to picking Illinois for football: ‘It was a big shift’Seemingly in the blink of an eye, St. Laurence’s Sean Rice saw his recruiting take off. Rice, a linebacker heading into his senior year, quickly went from mid-major prospect to being highly sought after by Power Four programs. The process ended with Rice choosing to stay home as he recently committed to Illinois. “It’s really cool I’m going to play for my home state,” Rice said. “I’m really ...ILL14d
- Illinois football lands explosive three-star ATH in big Fourth of July commitmentFireworks were shooting off early for the Illinois football program, as they secured a commitment from this Michigan prospect on the Fourth of July.ILL15d
- The 3 most critical games on Illinois’s 2026 football scheduleHow many games can Illinois win in 2026? We break down the 3 most-important matchups on the Illini's schedule.ILL20d
- EA Sports' 'College Football 27' Ratings Released: Who Is Illinois' Top-Rated Player?"College Football 27" ratings were released on Thursday, and the Illini were as curious to learn how they rated as their fans wereILL22d
- Illinois Football is nearly ready for the next step. Is everyone else?The Illini are being objectively underrated compared to their on-field performance.ILL23d
- Whitman reiterates preference for 24-team CFP fieldJun. 26—CHAMPAIGN — The debate continues in college football with no clear-cut indication which way it will go. At issue: How many teams should make the playoffs? The answer depends on who you ask. On Thursday during the annual Josh Whitman roundtable, I put the question to the decade-long Illinois athletic director. Knowing his bread is buttered in the Big Ten, Whitman went with the number ...ILL24d