BY: KENNY VARNER
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Illinois football heading into the 2025 season—and for good reason. The Illini are coming off a strong 10-3 campaign capped by a 21-17 Citrus Bowl win over South Carolina. With 16 returning starters, including breakout quarterback Luke Altmyer, the expectations are understandably high. Can Illinois carry that momentum and make it back-to-back double-digit win seasons? If things break right, the ceiling could be as high as a College Football Playoff appearance.
Luke Altmyer went from relatively unknown to one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten, putting together a breakout season in which he threw for 2,717 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions, while completing 60.8% of his passes. If he can deliver a similar performance in 2025, Illini fans have every reason to be excited. Altmyer will benefit from an experienced offense that returns nine starters, including the entire offensive line. That group is anchored by standout center Josh Kreutz and massive guards Brandon Henderson and John Gesky—both tipping the scales at over 325 pounds. Left tackle JC Davis is arguably the best in the Big Ten, while Melvin Priestly returns at the other tackle spot, giving Illinois one of the most complete lines in the country.
The run game, which operated as a committee last season, should remain productive despite the departure of Josh McCray (609 yards) to Georgia. Aidan Laughery returns after a strong year (589 yards, 6.1 YPC), and Kaden Feagin (308 yards, 4.6 YPC) is back after missing half the season with a hip injury. The ground game should thrive behind this veteran line.
The wide receiver room does lose about 70% of its production with the departures of NFL-bound Zackhari Franklin and Pat Bryant, who combined for 109 catches, 1,636 yards, and 14 touchdowns. However, Colin Dixon and Hank Beatty gained valuable experience and are poised to take on bigger roles. Transfers Hudson Clement (West Virginia), who caught 51 passes last season, and Justin Bowick (Ball State) are expected to stretch the field and add depth.
Defensively, Illinois returns seven starters, but the defensive line has been completely rebuilt through the transfer portal. The Illini landed former Wisconsin standout Jason Thompson and brought in Curt Neal, also from Wisconsin, to anchor the middle. Star outside linebacker Gabe Jacas, who tallied 74 tackles, 8 sacks, and 13 tackles for loss last season, surprisingly opted to return instead of heading to the NFL—much to the delight of the fanbase. Jacas is as good as any edge rusher in the Big Ten.
Linebacker Dylan Rosiek looks fully recovered from a broken leg and should lock down the middle. The secondary is the team’s strongest unit, headlined by two-time All-Big Ten selection Xavier Scott, who also passed on the NFL. Safety Miles Scott is a versatile playmaker, and Matthew Bailey, who led the team with 94 tackles and 7 pass breakups, returns as well. The corners are solid with Torrie Cox, Jameim Clarke, and Kaleb Patterson all in the mix.
Illinois has all the ingredients to be a top-20 team. The biggest question is whether last year was a magical, one-off season—or a sign of things to come. It’s worth noting that the 2024 regular season lacked a true signature win. The Illini fell by 14 at Penn State and were thumped by 29 at Oregon. However, this year’s schedule is noticeably softer, with no Michigan, Penn State, or Oregon in sight. Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota are also off the schedule.
After a tune-up opener, Illinois visits Duke in an intriguing under-the-radar matchup on September 6. Following another warm-up, they head to Indiana—last year’s surprise College Football Playoff team. The defining moment of the season could come at home in Champaign, when the Illini host powerhouse Ohio State.
Trips to Wisconsin and Washington will be challenging, but overall the schedule is manageable. If Illinois can win a few toss-up games, they’ll be in the mix for the Big Ten title. Anything less than eight wins would be a disappointment for this group. The Illini may come back to earth a bit—but eight or nine wins feels very realistic, and the potential for more is there if the pieces fall into place.