Illinois football’s NFL footprint showed up across the league in Week 1, with Illini alumni scattered through all eight divisions and a handful of practice-squad names still hanging around as the season got rolling.
The biggest Week 1 stat line belonged to Chase Brown, who handled 16 carries for 56 yards and a rushing touchdown as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27. Cincinnati center Ted Karras was right in the middle of it too, logging 64 snaps in the win.
A few former Illini made their presence felt on the defensive side. Gabe Jacas recorded three solo tackles and a sack for the New England Patriots in a 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Del’Shawn Phillips was busy for the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing with six tackles, including three solo stops, in a 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Sydney Brown added seven tackles, four of them solo, in the Atlanta Falcons’ 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Quan Martin had three solo tackles for the Washington Commanders in a 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Special teams also gave Illinois fans something to track. Isaiah Williams caught his lone target for seven yards and added two punt returns for 29 yards in the New York Jets’ 23-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. Chase McLaughlin delivered for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite the loss, hitting field goals from 34 and 51 yards and going 3-for-3 on extra points.
Some Illini were active, some were not, and several are still waiting for their first real shot this season. Tommy DeVito and Tanner Arkin were inactive for the Patriots, while DeVito is currently QB2 and Arkin is TE3.
Jake Hansen was inactive for the Houston Texans and is currently MLB2. JC Davis was ruled out ahead of the New York Giants’ 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Others were already dealing with injury situations. Kendrick Green has been on IR since August 7 with an undisclosed injury.
Milo Eifler has been on IR since August 24 with an undisclosed injury. Jer’Zhan Newton has been on IR since August 31 after receiving surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.
Nate Hobbs has been on IR since September 8 with a groin injury. Kerby Joseph has been on the PUP list due to a knee injury since September 2.
Tip Reiman has been on the PUP list due to an ankle injury since September 1.
There were also a few former Illini still in lineup battles or depth-chart spots. Pat Bryant and Alex Palczewski have yet to start the season, but both are set to play against the Chiefs in Monday Night Football, with Bryant currently listed as the Broncos’ second-string wide receiver and Palczewski as RT2.
Vederian Lowe was inactive for the San Francisco 49ers in their 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams and is currently LT2. James Thompson Jr. did get on the field for San Francisco and finished with two tackles while sitting as RDT2.
Isaiah Adams was ruled out before the Arizona Cardinals’ 26-14 win over the Chargers.
Nick Allegretti played 70 snaps for Washington in its two-point loss to Philadelphia, and Tony Adams had one tackle in the Titans’ 23-10 loss to the Jets. TeRah Edwards logged two tackles, including one solo, in the Carolina Panthers’ 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears. Devon Witherspoon added five tackles in Seattle’s win over New England.
The practice squad list still has a few familiar Illinois names too. Luke Altmyer was waived on August 30 and signed to the Detroit Lions’ practice squad on August 31.
Josh Gesky signed with the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad on August 31. Miles Scott was waived on August 30 and then signed to the Denver Broncos’ practice squad on August 31.
Casey Washington was signed to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad on August 31.
In Other News...
Illinois Already Has Two Problems It Must Fix Fast
Illinois went into its non-conference meeting with Duke hoping to keep building momentum and reach the kind of 3-0 start it wanted before the Ohio State game loomed on the schedule, but instead it came away with a loss that exposed a couple of early concerns. The Illini had trouble with tackling and never found enough consistency on offense, particularly after halftime, when the scoring dipped and the game slipped away.
Bret Bielema now has a short window to sort through what went wrong before Illinois turns to Southern Illinois. The issues are not subtle, and the staff will be looking for answers quickly, because the next stretch will ask whether this was a one-game stumble or the start of problems that need immediate fixing. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Chasing A Wing Prospect Who Could Change Its Future
Illinois has positioned itself early with AJ Williams, a top-five recruit in the class of 2027 whose rise has already made him one of the more intriguing long-term targets on the board. The Georgia wing, who plays for Eagles Landing Christian Academy, included Illinois in his top 10 after the Illini first offered him in July, following his showing with Team CP3. For a program always looking to keep its pipeline of national-caliber talent flowing, getting in this early matters.
Williams is the kind of prospect who can force a staff to picture how he would fit before the rest of the roster even settles into place. Illinois has been weighing its wing rotation and broader roster balance, and a player with his blend of upside and versatility would only add to that conversation. The competition is already real, though, and the next steps in his recruitment should tell a lot about how serious Illinois can be about turning an early offer into a future win. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Making An Early Push For A Frontcourt Priority
Illinois has already built a strong early footprint in its 2027 recruiting class with a pair of committed shooting guards, but the staff is clearly working to balance that out with size. The latest sign comes from Darius Wabbington, the five-star center from the 2027 class, whose recruitment is starting to pick up across the country as his official visits take shape.
Wabbington, a 6-foot-11 frontcourt priority ranked No. 12 nationally, has moved his trip to Champaign up from Oct. 23 to Sept. 18. That places Illinois in an important early window as he also lines up visits to Indiana, Arizona, North Carolina and Texas, giving the Illini a chance to make their case before the rest of the schedule unfolds. [Read more 🡒]