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Illinois’ Bielema needs a big year from portal acquisitions

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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.

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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.

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Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

Campbell's reveals Illinois' favorite Thanksgiving side dish

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Campbell's reveals Illinois' favorite Thanksgiving side dish


There’s a new king of the mountain when it comes to side dishes at Thanksgiving, and Illinois’ pick is also the favorite of Americans.

This news comes via Campbell’s annual State of the Sides report, released each year ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to reveal what side dishes Americans are pairing with their turkeys on the big day.

According to the report, stuffing/dressing overtook mashed potatoes as America’s favorite side dish, with sweet potatoes also moving up to the third spot in the ranking.

Green bean casserole checks in at No. 4, according to the ranking, with mac and cheese dropping from third to fifth this year.

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According to Campbell’s, Illinois was one of 45 states that picked stuffing as their favorite side dish, with Iowa, California, Utah, Wyoming and West Virginia siding with mashed potatoes.

The data also revealed several other key findings, including that 56% of Americans would prefer eating side dishes over their turkey on Thanksgiving. Roughly 4-of-10 Americans would also be content with having a plate made up of nothing but sides, according to the study.

Perhaps most importantly if you’re heading to a gathering this holiday season, 99% of Americans say they help to cook part of the Thanksgiving meal if they’re attending a gathering.



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Breaking down Rutgers’ bowl scenarios after losing golden opportunity vs. Illinois

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Breaking down Rutgers’ bowl scenarios after losing golden opportunity vs. Illinois


The dream postseason scenario was there for Rutgers … until it vanished in heartbreaking fashion.

Illinois not only sent Rutgers to one of its most-devastating losses of this century Saturday, it all but guaranteed Rutgers will not play in one of the Big Ten’s top-tier bowl games, too. With so much within grasp, including a program-defining victory, the ultimate prize was playing into position to earn a berth in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Citrus Bowl scouts sat in the press box at SHI Stadium — and loved everything they saw — right up until the end when No. 24 Illinois stunned Rutgers with a miraculous, game-winning touchdown catch and run by senior Pat Bryant, which put the Illini over the top for a 38-31 victory.

What did the loss do to Rutgers and its postseason fate? With the loss, Rutgers fell right back into the middle of the Big Ten standings. After Saturday, Illinois and Iowa separated themselves from that pack. Rutgers, meanwhile, is now solidly in the thick of the muck with five other teams jostling for postseason positioning with one game remaining.

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So with that uncertainty, where might the Scarlet Knights end up? Here’s a look at where things currently stand and what’s available.

Big Ten bowls

These seven games are listed in order of ranking, meaning the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will land the top-ranked Big Ten team that does not qualify for the CFP. The selection process then flows downward for the next six selections. It should be noted there are “variety clauses” to ensure new teams appear in each bowl in two to three years depending on the bowl.

Bowl game When/where vs. variety clause
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. in Orlando, Fla. SEC No Iowa
ReliaQuest Bowl Dec. 31 at noon in Tampa Bay, Fla. SEC No Wisconsin
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C. ACC No Maryland
Music City Bowl Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn. SEC No Maryland
Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 28 at noon in New York, N.Y. ACC No Rutgers
Rate Bowl Dec. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in Phoenix, Ariz. Big 12 N/A
GameAbove Sports Bowl Dec. 26 at 2 p.m. in Detroit, Mich. MAC N/A

It’s also important to remember, the conference’s four newcomers — No. 1 Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC — are not eligible for the seven games with Big Ten ties. The newcomers who achieve bowl eligibility and do not qualify for the College Football Playoff will be selected from the former Pac-12′s “legacy pool,” a list of six games for teams that played in the conference in 2023.

Where things stand

Three games to watch

Assuming Indiana makes the College Football Playoff, these three games will have the biggest impact on Rutgers’ selection. Conveniently, they will all be played before the Scarlet Knights take the field against Michigan State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in East Lansing.

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Minnesota at Wisconsin, Friday at noon: Minnesota could knock Wisconsin out of the picture, which would be good news for Rutgers and narrow the field. In the process, Minnesota might become a more attractive selection at 7-5 — even though Rutgers owns the head-to-head win. If Wisconsin win, it really muddles the picture.

Nebraska at Iowa, Friday at 7:30 p.m.: Iowa would be a heavy favorite for the ReliaQuest Bowl with a win. It would also keep Nebraska behind Rutgers in the standings if the Scarlet Knights win at Michigan State.

Michigan at Ohio State, Saturday at noon: Michigan will be a big underdog, but even with a loss a 6-6 Michigan team might be a more attractive selection than Rutgers.

Even with a win, Rutgers can’t theoretically play its way out of the muck. If the best-case scenario is the Duke’s Mayo or Music City Bowl, the committees will need to evaluate Rutgers as a better pick than Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska or Wisconsin. That may be a long shot but not impossible.

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Patrick Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com.



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Illinois Basketball Fans Ask: Who Is Ed Cooley?

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Illinois Basketball Fans Ask: Who Is Ed Cooley?


If you’re an Illini fan today, you’re probably somewhere putting your feet up, basking in the glow of an epic come-from-behind football win and an iron-fisted basketball beatdown, and patting yourself on the back for a hard day’s work rooting on your favorite nationally ranked programs. Oh, and you’re undoubtedly asking yourself a question:

Who in the world is Ed Cooley?

Unless you’re a die-hard college basketball fan, you can be forgiven for scratching your head over the name. Cooley, the current coach of the Georgetown Hoyas and previously a longtime head man at Providence and Fairfield, doesn’t do a lot of business in the Midwest, or anywhere else – like, say, the NCAA Tournament – where you might have seen him often.

More to the point, what does Cooley have to do with the Illini? It’s a fair question – one that a lot of observers were asking in the wake of his postgame press conference after his Hoyas’ 82-65 win over Saint Francis on Saturday.

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Ostensibly, the subject of conversation was Hoyas guard Jayden Epps and his glowing defensive performance against the Red Flash, but it was the Illini (and, by implication, coach Brad Underwood and his staff) who wound up catching strays from 700 miles away.

Here’s a quick sound bite:

You may remember that Epps – a top high school prospect out of Norfolk, Virginia, a few years back – signed with Illinois and played his freshman season in Champaign. Had a pretty good year, too: averages of 9.5 points and 1.5 assists in 31 games, including 11 starts. But Epps bounced out of Illinois through the transfer portal – and wasn’t the first or last in the Underwood era – and landed at Georgetown.

Perhaps Cooley felt Epps was underappreciated in Champaign and thought he was defending his guy. Maybe he even thought he had been mistreated. But the message wasn’t a response or reaction – it was delivered unprompted, without further context or explanation. it was a calculated shot wrapped in an offhanded remark inside a monumentally dumb decision. Neither Cooley nor Epps gained anything from the comment. It just came off as sour grapes.

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Cooley must have recognized as much – or been instructed by an administrator that he had better – because he quickly apologized for the indiscretion. Sort of:

“My comment today was said in jest with one of my players, but I admit it was a poor choice of words,” Cooley posted on his X social media account. “I have the utmost respect for the University of Illinois, its men’s basketball program, coaches and players.”

For his part, Underwood blew off the beef when asked about Cooley’s comments in the postgame presser following Illinois’ 87-40 shellacking of Maryland Eastern Shore.

“My guys told me about it,” Underwood said. “That’s not even worth wasting my time on. I don’t know what he’s referencing that about. Jayden had a productive freshman year here. But I’m not getting into all that. I’ll let our fans have some fun with that, which I’m sure they probably are. But I’ve got Arkansas Little Rock to worry about and Arkansas to worry about and Northwestern to worry about and everybody else to worry about. I mean, I don’t read [the media’s] stuff, I’m sure as heck not gonna read his.”

Illini fans will surely have less tolerance and longer memories for this sort of thing than Underwood himself, so of course we’re rooting for an Illinois-Georgetown NCAA Tournament matchup. Because what’s March Madness without a little extra chaos?

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