Illinois got a jolt on Thursday with linebacker Daniel Brown popping up on the injury report as questionable for Saturday’s 11 a.m. kickoff at No. 7 Ohio State, but there’s at least some optimism he’ll be out there.
Brown was not listed on Wednesday’s initial report. The fifth-year MIKE linebacker has already sat out the first three games after missing most of training camp with an injury, and he’s been sidelined for 18 of Illinois’ last 29 games over the past three seasons because of injuries.
Bielema said Thursday he believes Brown will make his season debut against Ohio State. How much he plays is still unclear, especially with senior Mason Muragin and fifth-year Ean Rhea also in the mix at MIKE after Brown has been away from game action for the last six weeks.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. Brown was talked up all offseason by the Illinois staff as one of the roster’s most important pieces, and his fit in Bobby Hauck’s 3-3-5 scheme has been described as a natural one. At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, the former JUCO All-American gives the Illini something different when he’s healthy.
“ Daniel Brown's a guy that can make stuff happen," Hauck said. "…He can mess stuff up for the offense."
On the volleyball side, Illinois opened Big Ten play with a statement win, knocking off No. 15 Minnesota 3-1 Thursday at Huff Hall to stretch its winning streak to five.
Paityn Chapman powered the attack with 15 kills, nine digs and three blocks. Taylor de Boer added 11 kills, while Kenna Phelan finished with 37 assists and Talita Gonçalves piled up 19 digs.
The result snapped two frustrating streaks at once: Illinois’ nine-match skid against ranked teams and an 11-match drought against Minnesota. It also gave the Illini their best win of the season by far, a top-50 RPI victory that should help the NCAA Tournament résumé and offer a strong opening note to the Big Ten grind.
Illinois had gone 4-33 against ranked opponents over the previous four seasons from 2022-25.
The schedule turns quickly, with No. 23 USC coming to Huff Hall at 7 p.m.
CT Saturday. Illinois is 4-4 all-time against the Trojans and was swept 3-0 by USC last season.
Elsewhere Thursday, Illinois soccer was shut out again in a 3-0 loss at Purdue. The Illini and goalkeeper Izzy Lee allowed a season-high three goals, and Illinois was out-shot 15-10 overall and 6-4 on goal.
The offensive drought in conference play keeps growing. Illinois has not scored in any of its four Big Ten matches so far, has been out-shot 40-29 in league play and has been blanked in six of 10 matches this season.
Illinois (3-2-5, 0-2-2 Big Ten) will host Oregon (6-1-2, 1-1-1) at 1 p.m. CT Sunday at Demirjian Park. The Illini are 2-0 all-time against the Ducks, including a 1-0 win in Eugene last season.
In basketball news, Roddy Gayle Jr. is set to return to Michigan for a fifth season after earning a preliminary injunction in Niagara County Supreme Court. Gayle has averaged 8.5 points over two seasons at Michigan and was a key reserve on last season’s national title team, putting up 7.3 points in 21.1 minutes per game.
His return matters because Michigan is talented but thin after the departures of three lottery picks - Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara - plus a season-ending knee injury for five-star wing Brandon McCoy. Gayle has played in 146 games with 72 starts across his four seasons at Ohio State and Michigan, and he could end up in the starting five.
And on the latest Illini Inquirer Podcast, Joey Wagner and I previewed Illinois football’s Big Ten opener at No. 7 Ohio State, digging into the first injury report, what the Illini need to show as a huge underdog at The Shoe, and our picks to click and bold predictions.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Put Itself In The Mix For An Elite Forward
Benjamin Berrouets recruitment is already shaping up to be one of the more intriguing ones on Illinois radar, and the 2028 five-star forward has now set official visits this fall with the Illini, Kentucky and UCLA. A consensus high-level prospect, Berrouet sits No. 21 overall and No. 2 among power forwards in the Class of 2028, and his rise has been fueled by strong showings both in EYBL play and on the international stage.
For Illinois, simply getting into that group matters, because Berrouet is the kind of frontcourt talent programs build around. He has already backed up the ranking with production against elite competition and added another layer to his rsum by earning MVP honors at the U16 EuroBasket, so the visits will give each school a chance to make its case before the race tightens even further. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Selling Top Recruits On A Bigger Role In Champaign
Brad Underwood has built Illinois around an offense that asks players to do more than fit neatly into one spot on the floor. The system leans on versatility and fluidity, giving guards and forwards room to use their full skill sets instead of being boxed into traditional roles, and that approach has become a clear selling point as top recruits keep making their way to Champaign.
Several five-star visitors have come away impressed not just by the scheme, but by the way Illinois handles player development. It is a pitch that has helped fuel the programs recent success, and it has given the Illini a reputation as a place where elite talent can see a bigger role sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Passing Game Has A Collin Dixon Problem
Illinois has found a clear go-to option in Collin Dixon, and the production has been hard to miss. He has piled up seven touchdowns and 367 yards this season, and his recent scoring stretch even set a single-season receiving touchdown record at Gies Memorial Stadium, the kind of mark that underscores how central he has become to the passing game.
Katin Housers turnover picture tells the other side of the story. Both of his interceptions this season have come on throws intended for Dixon, a reminder that the Illini may be leaning on one target a little too heavily as tougher defenses loom. Spreading the ball around more effectively could make the offense harder to predict and help reduce the mistakes that can stall drives against better opponents. [Read more 🡒]