Illinois Fighting Illini
Big Ten
10-3 (6-3 conf)
SP+ #31AP #16
Ratings
2024
- SP+
- 9.6 (#31)
- SP+ Offense
- 29.0
- SP+ Defense
- 20.9
- SRS
- 8.8
- FPI
- 5.2
- Elo
- 1618
- Talent
- 654
- Recruiting
- 199 (#49)
Schedule
record 10–3
Schedule
50th
toughest of 134
Offenses faced
95th
toughest of 134
Defenses faced
29th
toughest of 134
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 134 (easiest) · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Margin | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsEastern Illinois | FCS | 45-0 | +45 | W |
| 2 | vsKansas | +4.9 | 23-17 | +6 | W |
| 3 | vsCentral Michigan | -15.8 | 30-9 | +21 | W |
| 4 | @Nebraska | +5.5 | 31-24 | +7 | W |
| 5 | @Penn State | +24.6 | 7-21 | -14 | L |
| 7 | vsPurdue | -16.2 | 50-49 | +1 | W |
| 8 | vsMichigan | +10.6 | 21-7 | +14 | W |
| 9 | @Oregon | +26 | 9-38 | -29 | L |
| 10 | vsMinnesota | +10.4 | 17-25 | -8 | L |
| 12 | vsMichigan State | -4.6 | 38-16 | +22 | W |
| 13 | @Rutgers | +6.4 | 38-31 | +7 | W |
| 14 | NNorthwestern | -8.2 | 38-28 | +10 | W |
| 1 ·P | NSouth Carolina | +16.9 | 21-17 | +4 | W |
Quarterbacks · 4
2024 · 69
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Luke Altmyer | SR | 6'2" | 205 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Donovan Leary | JR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★ |
| QB | — | Jacob Huber | JR | 6'1" | 200 | — |
| QB | — | Kirkland Michaux | JR | 6'4" | 225 | — |
Running Backs · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Josh McCray | SR | 6'1" | 235 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Aidan Laughery | JR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
| RB | 3rd | Kaden Feagin | JR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Ca'Lil Valentine | SO | 5'11" | 190 | ★★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 11
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Patrick Bryant | — | — | — | — |
| WR | 2nd | Zakhari Franklin | — | — | — | ★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Hank Beatty | SR | 5'11" | 185 | ★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Kenari Wilcher | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| WR | 5th | Collin Dixon | SO | 6'1" | 210 | — |
| WR | 6th | Malik Elzy | JR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Ashton Hollins | JR | 6'5" | 190 | ★★★ |
| WR | 8th | Alexander Capka-Jones | SR | 6'4" | 190 | — |
| WR | — | Blayne Sisson | FR | 6'2" | 190 | — |
| WR | — | Morrison Giggetts | FR | 5'8" | 180 | — |
| WR | — | Weston Adams | JR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
Tight Ends · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Tanner Arkin | SR | 6'4" | 265 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Carson Goda | — | — | — | — |
| TE | 3rd | Jordan Anderson | JR | 6'4" | 240 | ★★★ |
| TE | — | Jake Petrow | FR | 6'3" | 195 | — |
| TE | — | Nate Guinn | FR | 6'6" | 240 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Devin Hale | JR | 6'0" | 300 | — |
| OL | — | TJ McMillen | SO | 6'3" | 295 | — |
| OL | — | Magnus Moller | SO | 6'9" | 310 | — |
| OL | — | Sam Tsagalis | SO | 6'2" | 285 | — |
| OL | — | Brandon Henderson | JR | 6'5" | 335 | — |
Defensive Line · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1st | Alex Bray | JR | 6'4" | 270 | — |
| DL | 1st | Dennis Briggs Jr. | — | — | — | — |
| DL | 2nd | Te-Rah Edwards | — | — | — | — |
| DL | 3rd | Jeremiah Warren | SO | 6'3" | 305 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Pat Farrell | SO | 6'5" | 280 | — |
| DL | 5th | Angelo McCullom | SO | 6'2" | 290 | ★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Gentle Hunt | SR | 5'11" | 305 | — |
| DL | 7th | Enyce Sledge | JR | 6'3" | 320 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Gabe Jacas | SR | 6'3" | 275 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Dylan Rosiek | SR | 6'1" | 235 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Seth Coleman | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 4th | James Kreutz | JR | 6'2" | 225 | ★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Ryan Meed | — | — | — | — |
| LB | 6th | Alec Bryant | SR | 6'3" | 250 | — |
| LB | 7th | Joe Barna | SO | 6'4" | 265 | ★★★ |
| LB | 8th | Malachi Hood | JR | 6'2" | 225 | — |
| LB | 9th | Jojo Hayden | SO | 6'2" | 220 | ★★★ |
| LB | 10th | Kenenna Odeluga | SR | 6'1" | 235 | — |
| LB | 11th | Ezekiel Holmes | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 12th | Luke Zardzin | SR | 6'0" | 225 | — |
| LB | — | Daniel Brown | JR | 6'1" | 250 | — |
Defensive Backs · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB | 1st | Matthew Bailey | JR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★ |
| DB | 2nd | Miles Scott | SR | 5'11" | 210 | — |
| DB | 3rd | Xavier Scott | SR | 5'11" | 190 | ★★★ |
| DB | 4th | Jaheim Clarke | JR | 6'1" | 175 | ★★★ |
| DB | 5th | Kaleb Patterson | JR | 6'1" | 190 | — |
| DB | 6th | Mac Resetich | JR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| DB | 7th | Torrie Cox Jr. | SR | 5'9" | 170 | ★★★ |
| DB | 8th | Saboor Karriem | JR | 6'3" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 9th | CJ Bufkin | — | — | — | — |
| DB | 10th | Tyler Strain | SR | 5'9" | 195 | ★★★ |
| DB | 11th | Terrance Brooks | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| DB | 12th | Tanner Heckel | SO | 5'11" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 13th | Tyson Rooks | JR | 6'4" | 205 | ★★★ |
| DB | 14th | Grayson Griffin | SR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
Special Teams · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS | 1st | Lane Hansen | SR | 6'0" | 215 | — |
| P | 1st | Hugh Robertson | — | — | — | — |
| PK | 1st | David Olano | JR | 5'11" | 180 | ★★★ |
| PK | 2nd | Fabrizio Pinton | — | — | — | — |
| PK | 3rd | Ethan Moczulski | JR | 5'11" | 190 | ★★★ |
2024 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
29.060
Off PPA
+0.2481
Pass PPA
+0.3482
Rush PPA
+0.1560
Success
45%71
Explosive
1.3069
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2024 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.24 | +0.17 |
| Passing | +0.34 | +0.17 |
| Rushing | +0.15 | +0.18 |
| 1st Down | +0.04 | +0.02 |
| 2nd Down | +0.21 | +0.16 |
| 3rd Down | +0.76 | +0.46 |
Scoring Trend
2024 · pts/game
PPG For
28.9
PPG Against
22.1
Differential
+6.8
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / LResults
2024
- Overall
- 9-3
- Home
- 6-1
- Away
- 2-2
- Neutral
- 1-0
- Conference
- 6-3
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 4-1
- Avg Margin
- +6.8
Situational Splits
2024 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 6-1 | 32.0 | 17.6 |
| Away | 2-2 | 21.3 | 28.5 |
| Neutral | 2-0 | 29.5 | 22.5 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 1-2 | 12.3 | 25.3 |
| Conference | 6-3 | 27.7 | 26.6 |
| Non-conference | 4-0 | 29.8 | 10.8 |
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 · 3-1 ATS · O3/U1
Betting Profile
2024 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 10-3 |
| ATS | 9-375% |
| Over / Under | 5-7 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 4-1 |
| As underdog | 5-2 |
| Home | 5-2 |
| Away | 3-1 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #57 · 13 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★138 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2016 | #73 | 154 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
talent #63
Returning prod 45%Departed 55%
Portal in 12net -12Out 24
Talent composite653.8 #63 / 134
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.3 / 2.9
Returning usage (pass / rush / rec)67 / 61 / 33
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Terrance Brooks | CB | 4★ | ← Texas |
| ▲ | Cole Rusk | TE | 4★ | ← Murray State |
| ▲ | J.C. Davis | OT | 4★ | ← New Mexico |
| ▲ | Kevin Wigenton II | IOL | 3★ | ← Michigan State |
| ▼ | Andrew Dennis | IOL | 4★ | → Michigan State |
| ▼ | Reggie Love III | RB | 3★ | → Purdue |
| ▼ | Tahveon Nicholson | CB | 3★ | → Louisville |
| ▼ | Sedarius McConnell | DL | 3★ | → Boston College |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2024
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
7 items
- 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 wereILL1d
- Illinois Football is nearly ready for the next step. Is everyone else?The Illini are being objectively underrated compared to their on-field performance.ILL1d
- 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 ...ILL3d
- Bret Bielema stacking much-needed depth in the Illinois football secondaryIllinois football added another member to the class of 2027 on Tuesday, in hopes of building depth at a crucial position group.ILL5d
- Illinois Football Receive Commitment From 2027 Kicker Ulysses MoralesMorales, who committed to Illinois on Sunday, could enter a wide-open race to be the Illini's placekicker of the futureILL6d
- Illinois football shows recruiting masterclass in latest 2027 commitmentBret Bielema keeps the Illinois football recruiting train going with another commitment on Monday.ILL6d
- Decision time locked in for massive Illinois football recruiting targetIllinois football has been targeting numerous recruits, and on Monday, we will know a key decision for the future.ILL7d