#12 Illinois Fighting Illini Poised for Program-Defining Season
The Illinois Fighting Illini are getting ready to take on the Duke Blue Devils in their first true test of the 2025 college football season. Bret Bielema’s group is coming off of one of the best seasons in recent program history, capped by a shocking victory over CFP-hopeful South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. The win gave the Illinois Fighting Illini 10 wins, marking the first season that Illinois had double-digit wins since 2001. Riding high off the momentum from 2024 and bringing back 16 starters, tied for the most in the nation, 2025 has the potential to be a program-defining season for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
In the fifth year of the Bielema era, Illinois has many factors in its favor. Between a lighter Big Ten schedule, a strong presence at the line of scrimmage, and continuity in the offensive and defensive backfield, Illinois is a common pick as a dark horse in the crowded Big Ten. One year after Indiana came out of nowhere to make the College Football Playoff, Illinois has all the tools to make the CFP for the first time in program history.
Illinois Fighting Illini: CFP Hopeful
The Illinois Fighting Illini downed Western Illinois 52-3 in their opening game of the 2025 college football season. The opening victory was a dress rehearsal for the rest of what Illinois fans are hoping is the best season for the program in recent memory. They have lots of momentum that gives credence to those hopes. Between a 10-win season in 2024, the return of a college football high 16 starters, and a lighter schedule in 2025, Illinois is looking at a CFP berth this year as a realistic possibility.
The Illinois Fighting Illini had their first 10-win season in over two decades last season. The 10th win came in the Citrus Bowl against South Carolina, a victory that came as a surprise to the college football world. South Carolina was hoping to be in the CFP, and after being left out, the expectation was that the Gamecocks would unleash on the Fighting Illini. The win for Illinois catapulted them into an offseason that saw them retain 16 starters, including some of their top performers.
The Illinois Fighting Illini lost their top two receivers from a season ago. Pat Bryant was drafted into the NFL, and Zakhari Franklin graduated. Aside from those standouts, the only departure of note is Running Back Josh McCray, and Illinois has three capable, proven backs ready to step up behind a strong offensive line. Alongside the running backs behind the offensive line is Quarterback Luke Altmyer, who could very much have the fate of this Illinois team’s season in his right hand.
Third-Year QB Could Launch Illini
Altmyer was stuck behind first-round pick Jaxson Dart at Ole Miss in his first year of college football. The Illinois Fighting Illini were more than willing to bring in the talented quarterback from Starkville, Mississippi, and give him the reins to the Fighting Illini offense. Now, as a senior and third-year starter, Altmyer is ready to put it all together in a push for the CFP. In his first two years as the Illinois signal caller, Altmyer has a 63% completion percentage and a 35-16 TD to INT ratio, averaging 177 passing yards per game with a quarterback rating of 138.
Much of Altmyer’s success was tied to Bryant and Franklin on the perimeter. The Illinois Fighting Illini went into the transfer portal to try to help replace them. To go with younger players already in the program, the wide receiver room will feature West Virginia transfer Hudson Clement. Clement was the Mountaineers’ top target last year, and with more protection up front and a proven quarterback under center, Clement could be primed to be one of the best receivers in the Big Ten, giving the Illinois offense an explosiveness to compete with some of the best defenses in the nation.
Aside from Clement, Illinois is bringing back most of its offensive playmakers. Josh McCray was in and out of the lineup last season, so the returning running backs are battle-tested and ready for full-time duties. Kaden Feagin, Aidan Laughery, and Ca’Lil Valentine all bring an element to the offense that could throw some wrinkles in defensive game plans. When defenses honed in on Bryant and Franklin out wide, Collin Dixon and Hank Beatty showed that they could threaten defenses down the field. Beatty put up 90 receiving yards in the Citrus Bowl win over South Carolina.
Gabe Jakas and a Strong Defense
The story on defense is very similar. The Illinois Fighting Illini return much of their back seven, including the entire defensive backfield. Illinois touts one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten, including Xavier and Miles Scott. Xavier Scott had four interceptions last year and won First Team All-Big Ten honors as the Fighting Illini’s top cornerback. Alongside the Scott brothers at corner are Torrie Cox Jr. and Kaleb Patterson, who showed potential last year, and with experience under their belt, they should be able to wrangle in some of the explosive offenses in the Big Ten, especially if the Illini are ahead and teams look to catch up through the air.
Matthew Bailey also brought home All-Big Ten honors as a safety to help lead the defense. With talent on the perimeter and leaders overlooking the entire unit, the Illinois Fighting Illini defense should be in good shape this season. One of the players Bailey will be overseeing is Gabe Jacas. Jacas was the third member of the Fighting Illini defense to take home All-Big Ten honors. The linebacker should be the focus of offensive coordinators around the country because, as he showed in 2024, he has the potential to wreck game plans with his ability to stop the run and disrupt the passing game.
The only concern for the Illinois defense under Defensive Coordinator Aaron Henry is the defensive line, which features three new starters up front. The unpredictability of the front could be a concern for the Illini, but after Bret Bielema clamored for more resources in the offseason, these transfers should be a valuable addition to a front that has lost Jer’Zhan Newton and TeRah Edwards in the last two seasons. If Illinois can maintain or even improve its defensive front, the combination of a solid front and a proven, dangerous secondary could turn the defense into a formidable force for the Illini this year.
Program Ready To Roll
With a college football high 16 starters returning, freshly infused funds into the program, and momentum off of the best season in recent memory, the Illinois Fighting Illini have all the makings of one of the dark horses in all of college football. As of now, Illinois sits at #11 in the land. Heading into a true test against the Duke Blue Devils, Illinois could be ready to make some noise in the early weeks of the 2025 college football season.
The hope for the Illinois program and its fans is that the momentum from last season can continue to build into the early weeks of the season and only get louder as 2025 progresses. Illinois has one of the lighter schedules in the Big Ten this year, so everything is paved ahead of this team to be one of the best teams in the country this season, and in a new college football landscape, anything is possible for the Illinois Fighting Illini in 2025.
