Jacas: 'It's a big deal to me just to make them proud'

INDIANAPOLIS — Gabe Jacas loves football.

That’s the word from his Illinois teammate Seth Coleman. Said with a distinct emphasis on just how much Jacas loves the game.

Not that the rest of the Illini don’t love the sport. They do. But a sneak peek inside Memorial Stadium and the Smith Center would reveal it’s Jacas pushing Coleman and the rest of Illinois’ outside linebackers to do more.

More film review. More reps after practice. More work in the weight room or running sprints even after they’ve already been put through the ringer by strength and conditioning coach Tank Wright.

“He’s a work-a-holic,” Coleman said of Jacas. “He wants to be that great every day. That is contagious with us. I can say that’s my brother. I love him for that. He makes me that much better every day. He makes the room that much better every day. Doing the little things that are going to help us in the fall.”

Jacas’ motivation to do more is internal. Even after busting out on the college football scene as a freshman All-American in 2022, the Illinois junior is far from satisfied. Particularly after a sophomore season last fall that didn’t live up to his expectations.

“I just want to be great,” Jacas said. “Bringing those guys along, I know that’s only going to make me better. Trying to do the extra stuff matters to me a lot.

“The way my mind works is like I’m not good enough so I have to do more in a sense. I can’t just chill. I can’t just do the ordinary. I’ve got to be extraordinary.”

‘It was a big bro thing’Jacas’ push to be extraordinary comes from wanting to make his family proud. To support his mom, who came “from pretty much nothing” in Jamaica. To achieve the football dreams his older brother had.

“It’s a big deal to me just to make them proud and tell people I did it for them,” Jacas said.

Especially his older brother.

Khaliq Jacas spent three seasons as a defensive lineman at Florida International after starting his career at ASA College. Then he returned home to Port St. Lucie, Fla., with a singular focus. He was going to take everything he learned in his own football career and help his younger brother.

“I didn’t have that for me,” Khaliq said. “I picked up on some things while playing. I had the knowledge. It would have been a disservice not to pass it on to my little brother. I just can’t be the person talking about how it didn’t happen for me. I should be able to make it happen for the next person, help the next generation grow and develop.

“We had sit-downs and talks. He shared with me his dreams and aspirations, and I told him I’d help get him there the best I can. The next two years were a mission — working out, coaching, being involved as much as I can. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make for him. It was a big bro thing, to sum it all up.”

‘He gave complete trust’Gabe grew up idolizing his older brother. Called him his “superhero.” So when Khaliq came back from FIU with the intent to serve as his coach, Gabe was all for it.

“Our bond, you can always depend on him to do things,” Gabe said. “He’s always going to be there for you. That’s like my best friend, to be honest. Can’t lie.”

That relationship made adding a coach title to Khaliq’s status as older brother a smooth transition. The two didn’t butt heads, as Gabe learned a new position after flipping from offensive line to defensive line heading into his junior year at Fort Pierce Central (Fla.).

“He gave complete trust,” Khaliq said. “He trusted everything I said to him and was showing him. He had complete faith. I’m not saying I know it all, but what I’m good at I passed it on to him. It was a thing I was sure it would work, but seeing him do what I was coaching him to do reassured me I knew what I was talking about.

“It was a beneficial aspect for both of us. I was not only coaching him, but other kids at the school. He was, at times, like my little assistant on the field. It was a fun process being a part of his journey and coaching him. There were no egos involved. Its as me teaching and him absorbing it.”

Gabe’s trust included changing positions. That he’d already dropped significant weight wrestling at Fort Pierce Central made him less of an offensive line candidate.

“While I was away for school, he was in the house eating up everything,” Khaliq joked. “He was a chubby kid. He looked like an O-lineman, for sure. … When I came home he had leaned up. I was like, ‘Whoa!’

“That was when I knew he could become a defensive end, edge rusher, outside linebacker. He just passed the eye test. I didn’t want him to play O-line anyway. Since he already did half the work and lost the weight, he made it easy for me.”

‘Just constant work’So the Jacas brothers went to work in the summer of 2020. First with Khaliq as Gabe’s individual coach and then after he caught on with the Fort Pierce staff under new coach Mike Watkins.

“That whole summer going into my junior year we worked D-line stuff every day,” Gabe said. “All the things I know now I pretty much learned from him. Especially the mental aspect. A lot of kids in high school don’t have that mental capacity to be tough or dependable or smart.”

The work ethic that followed Gabe to Champaign had roots in his time with his brother. School nights turned into late nights watching film. And with Khaliq still training on his own, he’s bring Gabe with him for more work.

“He had a full schedule five days a week,” Khaliq said. “Just constant work. He carried that over to college.”

‘He had the natural ability’

Gabe flew under the radar as a prospective recruit in the Class of 2022. The three-star prospect was committed to Tulane before Bret Bielema, in what’s now an oft-told story by the Illinois coach, got word of Jacas from Cardinal Newman (Fla.) coach Jack Daniels about a player from Fort Pierce Central worth checking out.

Illinois and Tennessee made a late push in Gabe’s recruitment, the Illini won out and then automatically inserted the 6-foot-3, 265-pound outside linebacker into the lineup for the 2022 season. Freshman All-American honors followed after Gabe made eight starts in 13 games and totaled 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and four sacks.

Khaliq saw the combination of skill, strength and athleticism that made that breakout freshman season in the Big Ten happen while he trained his younger brother. It’s why he was intent on Gabe playing as an edge rusher.

“He was aggressive at the point of attack,” Khaliq said. “He wasn’t afraid of contact. He was explosive. I just had to fine tune some things — hand placement, technique, his IQ and what to look for — but he had the natural ability. He wasn’t scared to go after it. He had that mental tenacity to be relentless.”

‘It’s crazy seeing his journey’

That’s what Gabe is trying to tap back into heading into the 2024 season. His sophomore campaign wasn’t as successful as his debut. Fewer tackles. Less havoc created in opposing backfields.

“Just being more consistent in my routine, whether that’s film or recovery or just talking to my coaches what I can do to improve,” Gabe said about a change in his approach heading into the 2024 season. “Talking to my mentors. Seeing what I can do to have the extra edge. That’s been part of my preparation for sure.”

Proof that Bielema sees a resurgence coming was Gabe’s inclusion in Illinois’ contingent at Big Ten media days. The Illini coach typically likes to take seniors he feels have earned the opportunity. That a bounce-back year could make this Gabe’s last in college football meant taking him to the conference’s annual kickoff event now.

Which was another cool moment for big brother, with Khaliq catching all of Gabe’s moments on TV earlier this week.

“I joke with him a lot,” Khaliq said. “He was never good in front of the camera. When he told me that Coach B. selected him, I was like, ‘Make sure you know what you’re going to say. He did a good job. He was very articulate, knew what he was talking about and was very professional. He checked the boxes for me.”

Another proud moment for big brother.

“It’s crazy seeing his journey, how he continues to rise and accomplish things that are first for the family,” Khaliq continued. “I played ball from 2015-19 and we didn’t have the same journey. My thing was to make sure when I came back home to put him in the best situation to succeed. Seeing the fruits of his labor blossom like that is an amazing thing. Being on TV. Having the family excited and friends excited. It’s great feeling to see him do what he wants to do and achieve his goals.”