en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Illinois Fighting Illini Football News https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/news Veteran offensive lineman indicates he'll return for fifth season Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:28:04 GMT SCOTT RICHEY\nsrichey@news-gazette.com https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58384742 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58384742 false false High hopes for nationally-ranked Illini women's basketball program. ... Illinois offensive line faces challenge from Oregon pass rush. ... Wagler makes his NBA debut with Clippers tonight. ... Catching up Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:16:25 GMT MATT DANIELS\nmdaniels@news-gazette.com https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58384647 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58384647 false false Freshman Quentin Coleman's arrival to Champaign came with a lot of expectations. In his first playing time during last weekend's exhibition win at Cincinnati... Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:59:13 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58383825 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58383825 false false By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer October 20, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics) Player: Jason Jakstys Class: Junior Height: 6-foot-10 Hometown: Yorkville, Ill. High School: Yorkville CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Jason Jakstys watched the last two months of Illinois’ Final Four run from a distance. Now, the 6-foot-10 center is healthy again and ready to earn minutes in a frontcourt that is hard to crack. Jakstys arrived in Champaign as a three-star recruit and the No. 4 player in Illinois in the 2024 class, and was also ranked a top-150 recruit by most recruiting publications. A Yorkville native, he signed with the Illini in November 2023 and joined the team the following summer. His high school résumé was solid. He became just the seventh player in Yorkville High School history to eclipse the 1,000 career points mark. He led the Foxes to 44 wins over his final two seasons, which included a Class 4A regional final as a junior. In his senior campaign, he averaged 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and earned third-team All-State honors. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 03:06:55 GMT larryilliniguys-com https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58382520 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58382520 false false Illinois football looked like they had the game in hand against Michigan State…until it wasn’t. At the end of the third quarter, Katin Houser goes down with a w Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:44:05 GMT Rees Woodcock https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58382096 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58382096 false false J Leman goes through the three keys if Illinois wants to pull off an upset win Saturday against injury-riddled Oregon. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:59:36 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58383830 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58383830 false false Champaign, Ill. – Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is looking for continued improvement from his squad after a much-needed bye week. Illinois (3-3) took down Michigan State in an overtime thriller a week and a half ago and now hosts Oregon this Saturday. The teams share some similarities, as both have dealt with quarterback injuries […] Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:49:45 GMT Nate Miller https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58382121 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58382121 false false J Leman discusses how the Illini defense can turn things around against Oregon. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:08:34 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58381272 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58381272 false false Illini tight end Kaden Feagin discusses his growth after transitioning from running back, and discusses how prepared the offense is ahead of Saturday's home ... Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:06:04 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58379482 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58379482 false false By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer October 20, 2026 We’re now six weeks into the NFL season, with a former Illini in all eight of the NFL’s divisions. While some Illini are rookie contributors, others might be seasoned veterans, with a few Illini 6-0 and another 0-6. Here’s a look at how Week 6 […] Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:15:39 GMT larryilliniguys-com https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58378653 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58378653 false false Illini tight ends coach Jared Elliott discusses the progress his tight ends have made ahead of Saturday's home game against Oregon.Follow the Illini Inquirer... Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:00:23 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58378396 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58378396 false false Illini passing game coordinator Mike Neu discusses the offensive development and game plan with Michael Clayton II and others ahead of Saturday's game agains... Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:00:04 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58378389 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58378389 false false Illini offensive lineman Brandon Henderson discusses his return to the field and offensive preparations ahead of Saturday's home game against Oregon. Follow ... Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:38:10 GMT Illini Inquirer: Illinois on 247Sports https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58375873 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58375873 false false Illini check in at No. 23 on preseason AP poll Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:50:08 GMT MATT DANIELS\nmdaniels@news-gazette.com https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58374524 https://sportspyder.com/cf/illinois-fighting-illini-football/articles/58374524 false false