Illinois

Illinois’ Bielema needs a big year from portal acquisitions

Published

1 year ago

August 17, 2024

Press Room

Illinois’ Bielema needs a big year from portal acquisitions

There has been plenty of hand-wringing about Bret Bielema and his ability to recruit at Illinois.

The improvement in in-state recruiting is the biggest story of the bunch. And to be clear, that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Lovie Smith was better at pretty much every function of his job than he was at in-state recruiting. Some examples include:

Scoring points against Iowa
Naming defensive coordinators
Avoiding nepotism hires
Exuding youthful charisma on the sidelines
Consistently going to bowl games

By the end of his tenure, Coach Smith had virtually abandoned the notion of keeping top talent in-state. He focused on Texas, Florida, and whatever Cory Patterson could bring in from St. Louis/East Metro.

But Lovie Smith did do one significant non-facial hair-related thing better than Coach Bielema. Lovie brought in high-end, highly effective talent from the transfer portal.

Lovie knew Illinois would never be the top choice for five-star prep prospects. But if those players got buried on Michigan’s depth chart or get forced out of the rotation at USC, perhaps Illinois could be their last stop on the road to recapturing their NFL value.

The Illini’s 2019 portal haul was largely responsible for the Illini making a bowl game. And no, we don’t need to discuss the bowl game. Not going to make you relive that.

But Brandon Peters, Oluwole Betiku, Richie Petitbon, Chase Brown, and Josh Imatorbhebhe all made massive contributions to an Illini bowl berth.

To exceed expectations in 2024, the Illini have to party like it’s 2019.

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For the Illini to have a similar 2024, Bielema’s portal additions have to make a significant impact on a roster that has been gutted by draft and portal departures.

This staff has excelled in finding quarterback talent in the portal. That has been a clear area of success.

But the overwhelming majority of the non-QB portal acquisitions have been lackluster in terms of consistency and productivity. But this year’s class includes multiple true impact players.

I would go as far as to say the portal finds who will be healthy enough to play this season could be worth a win, which could mean the difference between 5-7 and 6-6.

Terrance Brooks

2023 Big 12 Championship - Oklahoma State v Texas

Brooks is a former all-conference Big 12 defender. And while nobody is Devon Witherspoon, he is a legitimate star defensive back from a top program. He projects as an immediate shutdown starter who can play on an island. His time with Aaron Henry and Corey Parker could determine how bright his NFL future can be.

Make no mistake: he’s an absolute necessity. Last year’s Illini secondary got torched by the likes of Indiana and Northwestern. It was the opposite of the triumphant 2022 campaign in which a secondary largely recruited by Lovie Smith’s staff clamped opposing receivers better than any group in the country.

Brooks represents a return to form for an Illini defensive backfield that enabled the Illini front to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Brooks is not only the key in shutting down opposing air raid offenses, but he matters a great deal in enabling Gabe Jacas and Seth Coleman to get home more often.

All three could hear their names called in the NFL Draft.

Cole Rusk

Yes, he is missing this season with an injury. But he still has tremendous long-term potential as a weapon for Luke Altmyer/Donovan Leary/Trey Petty.

JC Davis

Bold prediction: he’s the most likely Illini player to find his way into the first two days of the 2025 draft. His PFF numbers last year were tremendous, and he has looked the part thus far.

Plug-and-play left tackles are rare finds. Davis could have stayed out west. But he took the challenge to pay for Bart Miller and Bret Bielema. His stabilizing presence enables the rest of the offensive line to settle into their more natural positions. Davis could wind up making the biggest overall impact of a stellar transfer portal haul.

Wait, you wanted to talk about another guy?

Zahkari Franklin

Barry Lunney Jr. achieved some of his best success as a coordinator with Zakhari Franklin as his top target.

In Champaign, Franklin doesn’t have to be a target monster. He doesn’t even have to be the guy.

He just has to be healthy. And with Luke Altmyer in year two, the sky for the receiving corps is the limit.

Franklin and Pat Bryant give Illinois two proven, productive pass catchers with the versatility to line up all over a wide variety of formations.

Add in the mouth-watering potential of Malik Elzy, the roof-tearing speed of Kenari Wilcher, the freakish measurables of Ashton Hollins, the wizardry of Hank Beaty, and the mystery of Alex Capka-Jones, and Justin Stepp has a full clip to deploy.

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Illinois

FEMA rejects Illinois’ appeal for major disaster relief after August storms hit Chicago area

Published

5 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Press Room

FEMA rejects Illinois’ appeal for major disaster relief after August storms hit Chicago area

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 1:39AM

FEMA rejects Illinois' appeal for major disaster relief

CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois families hit hard by storms last August will not get extra federal help.

Video captured some of the damage.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied the state’s appeal for a major disaster declaration for Boone, Cook, Kane, McHenry, and Will counties.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday called it a politically motivated decision that punishes thousands of families.

State officials vowed to continue supporting local recovery efforts.

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Illinois

2026 IHSA Illinois Wrestling State Finals Schedule And Brackets – FloWrestling

Published

17 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Press Room

2026 IHSA Illinois Wrestling State Finals Schedule And Brackets – FloWrestling

Of all the states in the country, Illinois has a unique format for its postseason high school wrestling action.

The Illinois High School Association Wrestling State Finals will feature three events across two action-packed weekends.

First up, will be the 2026 IHSA Boys Individual Wrestling State Finals, being held Feb. 19-21 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. The venue is home to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign basketball and countless other events throughout the year.

The following week (Feb. 27-28), the boys will be back on the mats for the 2026 IHSA Dual Team State Finals, and they’ll be joined at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, Illinois, by the top female wrestlers in the state for the 2026 IHSA Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals.

Though these tournaments won’t be broadcast live on FloWrestling or the FloSports app, each match will appear in the FloWrestling archives minutes after concluding.

While giving each field of competitors the chance to shine, the three events also have very different histories.

The first individual state meet for boys took place in 1937. The dual event was held for the first time in 1984. Only just recently, in 2022, did the girls get their first opportunity to compete for state titles.

From 1937-1973, there was one classification, and there were two (A, AA) from 1974-2008. Since 2009, the boys side of things, including the dual tournaments, have featured three classifications – 1A (under 600 enrollment), 2A (601-1,200) and 3A (more than 1,200).

So far, the girls have been limited to a single classification.

To reach the state finals, student-athletes in Illinois must run a gauntlet of competition.

For the boys, the postseason journey began with one-day regional events across 16 locations on Jan. 31. The first-, second and third-place finishers from each regional advanced to the sectional round.

The two-day sectional tournaments, held at four locations, are scheduled for Feb. 13-14.

Once again, the first-, second- and third-place finishers will advance and get the chance to wrestle at the state finals in Champaign.

The girls schedule is similar, with regional meets taking place Feb. 6 or Feb. 7, and sectionals set for Feb. 13-14.

Three top performers from the regional meets advance to sectionals, and the top four finishers at sectionals, in each weight class, advance to the state finals in Bloomington.

As the individual drama unfolds for the boys in February, teams also must focus on the Dual Team Tournament Series.

The Feb. 5 sectional qualifiers were held at the home of the teams that scored the most points at the individual regionals, and each included four teams, or semifinalists. The two semifinal winners from each sectional meet qualified for the state event.

In all, 24 teams now will compete at the Dual Team State Finals (eight per classification).

Whew, that’s a lot of information!

The important thing to remember is that the best of the best from the state of Illinois will get to battle for state titles this month, and every single match will live forever in the FloWrestling archives!

As you get settled in for the new championship season, here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 IHSA Wrestling State Finals, including links to the brackets.

What Are The Weight Classes For High School Wrestling In Illinois?

In Pounds

Boys: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285
Girls: 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 155, 170, 190, 235

2026 IHSA Wrestling State Finals Brackets

Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 IHSA Wrestling State Finals:

How To Watch The 2026 IHSA Wrestling State Finals

Coverage of the 2026 IHSA Boys Individual Wrestling State Finals, being held Feb. 19-21 in Champaign, Illinois, and the 2026 IHSA Dual Team State Finals/2026 IHSA Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals in Bloomington, Illinois, the following weekend, won’t be broadcast live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, but the matches will be available in the FloWrestling archives minutes after they conclude.

News, notes, stats and more will be available on both platforms.

If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, check this page for spectator and ticket information for the boys finals and this page to purchase tickets for the dual/girls finals.

2026 IHSA (IL) State Championships – ARCHIVE ONLY

2026 IHSA Wrestling State Finals Schedule

Here’s a look at when everything is going down in Illinois:

All Times Central

Thursday, Feb. 19

Session 1

8-9 a.m. – Packet pickup in lobby of East Main entrance
9 a.m. – Doors open for weigh-ins and skin checks
9:30 a.m. – Weigh-ins and skin checks
9:45-10 a.m. – Coaches meeting
10 a.m. – Table workers meeting
10:15 a.m. – Official meeting
10:15 a.m. (approx.) – Open mats
10:45 a.m. – Close mats
11 a.m. – Class 1A Preliminaries
1 p.m. (approx.) – Class 2A Preliminaries
3:15 p.m. (approx.) – Class 3A Preliminaries
5:30 p.m. (approx.) – Class 1A, 2A, 3A Winner’s Bracket Quarterfinals

Friday, Feb. 20

Session 2

6:30 a.m. – Doors open for weigh-ins
7:30 a.m. – Weigh-ins
8 a.m. – Doors open to the public
9 a.m. – Round 1 Wrestlebacks (1A, 2A, 3A)
1 p.m. (approx.) – Round 2 Wrestlebacks (1A, 2A, 3A)
4:30 p.m. – Clear State Farm Center

Session 3

6 p.m. – Doors open to the public
7 p.m. – Championship Semifinals (1A, 2A, 3A)

Saturday, Feb. 21

Session 4

6:30 a.m. – Doors open for weigh-ins
7:30 a.m. – Weigh-ins
8 a.m. – Doors open to the public
9 a.m. – Quarterfinal Wrestlebacks (1A, 2A, 3A)
11 a.m. – Semifinal Wrestlebacks (1A, 2A, 3A)
1 p.m. – Third-, Fourth-, Fifth-, Sixth-Place Matches (1A, 2A, 3A)
3:30 p.m. – Clear State Farm Center

Session 5

4:30 p.m. – Doors open to the public
5 p.m. – Grand March line-up
5:30 p.m. – Grand March
6 p.m. – Championship Matches (1A, 2A, 3A) (three mats)

Friday, Feb. 27

Girls Individual Tournament (Six Mats)

7:30 a.m. – Weigh-ins
8:15 a.m. – Coaches meeting
9 a.m. – Round 1
11 a.m. – Quarterfinals and Round 1 Wrestlebacks
1:30 p.m. – Round 2 Wrestlebacks

Dual Team Tournament (Six Mats)

3:30 p.m. – Weigh-ins
4:15 p.m. – Coaches meeting
5 p.m. – Top Bracket Quarterfinals
7 p.m. – Bottom Bracket Quarterfinals

Saturday, Feb. 28

7:30 a.m. – Weigh-ins for all wrestlers

Girls Individual Tournament (Three Mats)

9 a.m. – Championship Semifinals & Round 3 Wrestlebacks
11:30 a.m. – Consolation Semifinals
12:15 p.m. – Placement Matches
1:45 p.m. – Grand March
2 p.m. – Championship Matches (one mat)

Dual Team Tournament (Three Mats)

9 a.m. – Top Bracket Semifinals
11 a.m. – Bottom Bracket Semifinals
6 p.m. – Championship & Third-Place Duals (three mats)

2026 IHSA (IL) Dual Sate | Girls State Championships

What Teams Won At The 2025 IHSA Wrestling State Finals?

Here are the 2025 team state champions in Illinois:

Boys

Class 1A – Coal City
Class 2A – Elmhurst (IC Catholic)
Class 3A – Aurora (Marmion Academy)
Duals – Aurora (Marmion Academy) def. Rockton (Hononegah), 42-31

*Illinois only crowns individual champions in girls wrestling.

Read more: 2025 IHSA Illinois Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets | 2025 IHSA Girls Individual State Finals

Did You Know: There Are Layers To The History Of Illinois HS Wrestling

The three segments of high school wrestling in Illinois – boys, boys duals and girls – began wrestling for state titles in 1937, 1984 and 2022, respectively.

In the long history of boys high school wrestling in Illinois, only 16 boys have won four individual state titles. The latest was Seth Mendoza of Chicago Mt. Carmel, who won titles from 2022-2025 at 106, 113, 126 and 138 pounds.

For the girls, one athlete has won a state championship each year. Angelina Cassioppi from Rockton (Hononegah) won her first title in 2022 at 100 pounds and followed that with three victories at 120 pounds.

The pool of 14 winners at the 2025 Girls Individual Wrestling State Finals featured seven undefeated champions (five were repeat winners) and three others who only lost once all season.

Seven of the winners were the first girls wrestling champions for their schools. Five participants, including Cassioppi, became four-time medalists

2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings

Top 20 as of Jan. 12, 2026

Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?

Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.

You’ve Never Seen A High School Wrestling Dual Like This | Episode 2

Bo Bassett, Jax Forrest, Melvin Miller and Jude Correa are all ranked No. 1 in the country. What happens when you throw them all into one dual?

Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling

Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform.

Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.

This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join The State Wrestling Conversation On Social

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Illinois

WATCH: MSU celebrates, dances in locker room following win over Illinois

Published

1 day ago

February 9, 2026

Press Room

WATCH: MSU celebrates, dances in locker room following win over Illinois

Even a walking boot couldn’t keep Divine Ugochukwu from dancing in the Spartans’ locker room following Saturday’s win over Illinois.

When you beat a top five team in the country, there’s going to be dancing in the locker room. That was the case for the Spartans on Saturday night.

Michigan State rallied in the second half to beat No. 5 Illinois in overtime in a thrilling game on Saturday. The Spartans trailed most of the game, but took the lead late and eventually pulled away in overtime for the notable victory.

Following the game, there was plenty of celebrating from the fans and alumni that support the Spartans. And it also was occurring within the Michigan State locker room with the players.

In the video posted below on Coen Carr’s instagram, you can see a number of players dancing in the locker room — including recently injured Ugochukwu dancing in his new walking boot. Check out the video below:

It had been a long week for the Spartans, who came into this matchup on a two-game losing streak with defeats to rival Michigan and lousy Minnesota. So it’s nice to see the players celebrate and rewarded with the marquee victory.

Michigan State will look to keep the dancing going next week in a tough road test at Wisconsin on Friday. That’ll be the Spartans’ next game, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Friday.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

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