Illinois football is already getting the cold shoulder before the first AP Top 25 poll of the 2026 season even drops.
CBS Sports put out its projected AP Top 25, and the Illini were left off entirely - a result that has to sting for a program that has spent the last few years pushing its way into the national conversation.
That omission feels even sharper when you look at what Illinois has done under Bret Bielema. The Illini have been ranked inside the AP Top 25 in three of the last four seasons, including a No. 16 finish in the 2024 campaign.
They won 10 games two years ago and followed that with a nine-win season last year. They also knocked off South Carolina and Tennessee in back-to-back bowl games.
Yes, the offseason brought a major change with Luke Altmyer moving on. He spent three years helping lift Illinois to heights the program hadn’t seen in decades, if not longer, and his departure clearly matters.
But Bielema did not leave the position untouched. Illinois brought in Katin Houser, who was ranked as the No. 18 transfer portal quarterback in the country.
Still, CBS Sports slotted other teams ahead of Illinois in its projection. Tennessee came in at No. 18 despite Illinois beating the Volunteers in a bowl game last season.
Washington was projected at No. 20 even though the Huskies had the same record as Illinois a year ago. Iowa checked in at No. 21 after losing its starting quarterback, and Florida landed at No.
That’s the part Illinois fans will notice first: the respect hasn’t caught up to the results.
The Illini have flaws, sure. Every team does.
But this is a program that has repeatedly answered doubts under Bielema, and there’s little reason to think that stops now in 2026. The first AP poll will arrive Monday, and Illinois will be watching to see whether the real thing looks any different than this projection.
In Other News...
Lucas Morillo Faces One Big Hurdle In Illinois Rotation Battle
Lucas Morillo arrives in Champaign with the kind of profile that tends to keep a coach interested. The Illinois freshman is viewed as a versatile wing who can fit as a small forward, and his path to the floor starts with the sort of little things that travel well early in a career: rebounding, cutting and defense. For a team always sorting out who can help right away, that gives him a real chance to carve out a role.
The bigger question is whether Morillo can bring enough from the perimeter to make that role stick. Illinois does not need him to be a finished product in November, but his freshman value will hinge on whether opposing defenses have to respect his shot from long range. If he can reach that level, his all-around game becomes much easier to trust in a rotation that will be fighting for every minute. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Boyd Is Chasing The Illinois QB Standard Luke Altmyer Set
Luke Altmyers run in Champaign gave Illinois a clear standard at quarterback, and Carson Boyd has spent enough time watching it to understand what comes with the job. Altmyer piled up the kind of accomplishments that tend to change a programs expectations, guiding the Illini to back-to-back nine-win seasons and bowl wins over SEC opponents before moving on to the Detroit Lions.
Boyd is now trying to carve out a path that looks familiar in the broad strokes, even if the details will have to be his own. He wants to start at Illinois, grow into the position the same way Altmyer did, and put himself in position for an NFL future, with the challenge of matching a quarterback standard that the Illini have recently seen up close. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois May Have Found A New Answer In A Thin Receiver Room
Illinois has been sorting through its receiver depth during training camp, and Jershaun Newton has emerged as one of the more interesting answers. The move fits both the roster situation and Newtons athletic profile, with the former quarterback now working at wideout after spending a year at QB. Coaches Mike Neu, Jared Elliott, Ronnie Bradford and Chris Hurd were all available after practice sessions, underscoring just how much attention this position group is drawing as camp rolls on.
The timing matters because the Illini need options, and Newtons switch gives them another body who can help stabilize a thin room. It is the kind of adjustment that can quietly reshape a depth chart if it sticks, especially in August when every practice rep carries a little more weight. Illinois may still be waiting to see how far the transition can go, but the staffs willingness to make the move suggests the door is open for Newton to become more than just a fallback plan. [Read more 🡒]