Illinois Football Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Illinois College Football Preview 2024

Illinois just can’t get this football thing going.

Four.

The school has just four winning football seasons since the amazing 10-2 Sugar Bowl season under Ron Turner in 2001.

The program has been mired in a maddeningly frustrating pattern over the last 50-ish years—come up with a big season here and there to give the base hope, and then go back to mediocrity.

In 134 years of Illinois football, there have been just 15 campaigns with eight wins or more, and Bret Bielema’s team of swagger came up with one of them in 2022.

That was supposed to be the start of something positive. There were some key losses, but some decent talents were back. The schedule worked nicely with no Michigan or Ohio State to deal with, and…

Illinois lost to Purdue, and badly. It lost to Nebraska by double digits.

There were three losses in the last five games by four points or fewer, but in a scary way, there were five wins on the season by six points or fewer. Yeah, it could've been better, and yeah, it could've been a whole lot worse. Historically, things tend to teeter the wrong way for Illinois.

Sorry to continue the pity party, but nine bowl appearances in the last 31 years isn’t okay—Northwestern has gone to 11 bowl games in the last 16 years. And now, with two 5-7 seasons in the first three under Bielema, 2024 becomes a chance to change the Illinois football narrative.

Fortunately, Bielema might be on to something. He’s not getting the top recruits, but he and his staff are finding big, tough guys for the lines, have a slew of ballers for the defensive back eight, and the upgrade in the receiving corps might be enough to do even more with an offense that found a passing game last year.

No one’s asking for College Football Playoff appearances quite yet. Just go to a bowl game. Just beat Purdue.

Just be better at college football, Illinois. That has to start with more from the...

Illinois Football Preview 2024: Offense

- The offense finished third in the Big Ten overall, but there weren’t a ton of consistent points. The time of possession battle was a negative, and the third down conversions weren’t there. The running game wasn’t as physical as it should’ve been, the 23 turnovers were too many, and …

There’s a stronger mix of veterans and transfers to be better. Leading rusher Reggie Love left for Purdue, but Kaden Feagin is back after finishing second the team with 438 yards and two scores.

QB Luke Altmyer threw ten picks and and missed the final three games, but he threw for 200 yards or more seven times. The backfield is good enough, so …

- The offensive line has to be stronger. Josh Gesky is a good tackle, Josh Kreutz will be one of the Big Ten’s best centers, and the left side is filling in the gaps with New Mexico’s JC Davis at tackle and Michigan State’s Kevin Wigenton likely taking over at guard. But after allowing 40 sacks and 76 tackles for loss, this bunch has to be better and give Altmyer time to work.

- The passing game lost Isaiah Williams and Casey Washington - the top two receivers who combined for close to 1,800 yards - but Pat Bryant is back after leading the team with seven touchdown catches.

Mario Sanders is a fascinating prospect from the JUCO ranks. TE Cole Rusk is a good receiver coming in from Murray State, and likely star Zakhari Franklin is a standout at UTSA with 3,348 yards and 37 touchdowns before transferring to Ole Miss, where he played in only four games.

Illinois Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The defense didn’t have the 2022 mojo. It allowed almost 200 more points, gave up 24 points or more nine times after allowing that many just once two years ago, and it wasn’t nearly as nasty as it should’ve been.

And now the D has to move on without star tackles Jer’Zhan Newton and Keith Randolph.

Florida State transfer Dennis Briggs Jr. and 315-pound veteran TeRah Edwards have to not just hold up inside, but be disruptive. Alex Bray is almost like a third tackle on the end, but the pass rush will come from …

- The linebackers will get into the backfield. Illinois didn’t generate enough production overall behind the line, but Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas did their part combining for ten sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Middle linebacker Dylan Rosiek led the team with 82 tackles, and Kenenna Odeluga is a 240-pound thumper inside.

- Can the secondary come up with more big plays? As expected, there was a massive drop-off after losing stars Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown, but the safety combination of Miles Scott and Xavier Scott combined for 120 tackles and four picks - Miles took his two back for scores.

Corners Zachary Tobe and Tyler Strain have the experience to be stronger, but the spotlight will be on Texas transfer Terrance Brooks, who should be an instant factor on one side.

Key To The Illinois Football Season

Get that run defense working again.
The 2022 Illinois defense was a brick wall to deal with. It allowed fewer than 100 yards six times and won five of them. In all six games the Illini allowed fewer than three yards per carry, and allowed more in the other seven.

Last season? The D allowed fewer than 100 yards just three times - and won all three games. More disruption, more attitude, more consistency - Illinois needs to be feared again, which is why …

Illinois Key Player

TeRah Edwards, DT Sr.
The 6-2, 315-pounder has been a decent part of the defensive interior rotation over the last few years making 27 tackles with 1.5 sacks. His job is to hold up and occupy blockers, and now it’s his time to take over as the anchor on the nose.

Illinois Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Terrance Brooks, CB Jr.
Ole Miss WR transfer Zachari Franklin - who was unstoppable at UTSA - might be the biggest get as the season goes on, but Brooks could be the most important. The Illini need more big plays out of the corners, and they got an All-Big 12-caliber playmaker from Texas. He made 20 tackles with three picks and six broken up passes.

Top Transfer Out: Reggie Love, RB Sr.
There are a few other losses, but Love was last year’s leading rusher and now he’s off to Purdue. He never quite broke out, but he was a good part of the rotation with 1,053 yards and six touchdowns over the last four seasons.

Illinois Key Game

Minnesota, Nov. 2
The Illini defense stuffed the Gophers last season in a 27-26 road win for the third victory in a row since 2020. This year, the matchup comes after tough dates against Michigan and at Oregon - the Illini will likely need this to get back on track.

There’s a week off following this, and then comes a winnable date against Michigan State in the final home game of the season.

10 Best Illinois Football Players

1. Xavier Scott, S Jr.
2. Miles Scott, S Jr.
3. Dylan Rosiek, LB Jr.
4. Seth Coleman, LB Sr.
5. Terrance Brooks, CB Jr.
6. Zachari Franklin, WR Sr.
7. Josh Gesky, OT Jr.
8. Josh Kreutz, C Jr.
9. Kaden Feagin, RB Soph.
10. Luke Altmyer, QB Jr.

Illinois 2023 Fun Stats

- Sacks: Opponents 40 for 205, Illinois 24 for 183

- 3rd Down Conversions: Opponents 77-of-175 (44%), Illinois 58-of-171 (36%)

- Time of Possession: Opponents 31:35, Illinois 28:25

Illinois Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

Some schools in the new 18-team Big Ten got hit with a brutal schedule, and some miss a surprising number of stars. Illinois is somewhere in the middle.

It doesn’t have to play Ohio State, Washington, USC, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Maryland - or UCLA and Indiana, too, but that’s not quite a plus this year. However, that means it plays Michigan - it’s at home, though - and has to go to Penn State and Oregon.

The first part of the schedule isn’t all that bad if the team can hold up and beat Kansas early on, and winning the Big Ten opener on the road at Nebraska would be a potential tone-setter.

There are just enough winnable games to get to six and a bowl game, but it might require beating Rutgers and/or Northwestern on the road at the end.

Set The Illinois Win Total At … 6

Likely Wins: Central Michigan, Eastern Illinois

50/50 Games: Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, at Nebraska, at Northwestern, Purdue, at Rutgers

Likely Losses: Michigan, at Oregon, at Penn State

2024 Illinois Football Schedule

Aug 24 Eastern Illinois
Aug 31 OPEN DATE
Sept 7 Kansas
Sept 14 Central Michigan
Sept 21 at Nebraska
Sept 28 at Penn State
Oct 5 OPEN DATE
Oct 12 Purdue
Oct 19 Michigan
Oct 26 at Oregon
Nov 2 Minnesota
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 Michigan State
Nov 23 at Rutgers
Nov 30 at Northwestern

Missing: Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin