Illinois landed two players on Pro Football Focus’ All-Decade Big Ten Team since the 2016 season, but the biggest omission from the list is hard to ignore.
Devon Witherspoon made the cut at cornerback, which was no shock. The former Illinois star was a consensus All-American and the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft, so his place on the team was about as straightforward as it gets.
Kendrick Green also earned a spot, landing at starting left guard. Green was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a second-team All-American for the Illini, and his inclusion does carry a bit more surprise since no other Big Ten player on the list was a first-team All-American.
Still, the Illinois player who should have been there is Jer’Zhan Newton.
Michigan claimed both interior defensive line spots with Maurice Hurst and Mason Graham, and Graham belongs. He was a two-time All-American, including one consensus nod, and the résumé fits.
The debate is Hurst. In his fifth year at Michigan, he became a consensus All-American, but Newton matched that level of recognition in his final season at Illinois.
The numbers tilt the argument toward Newton, too. Over his final two seasons at Michigan, Hurst totaled 89.0 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3.0 pass deflections and 1.0 forced fumble. Newton’s final two seasons at Illinois produced 111 tackles, 13.0 sacks, 5.0 pass deflections and 1.0 forced fumble.
That gap matters, especially because Newton was the centerpiece of the Illinois defense and every offense knew it. Michigan, by contrast, had enough talent around Hurst that he didn’t have to carry the same burden.
Leaving Newton off the All-Decade Big Ten Team only makes the snub sting more.
It has already been a rough week for Newton. He tore his pec and had surgery, and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said he will be out for a significant time. Newton has been a steady piece for Washington over the past two seasons, starting 13 games and appearing in 33.
Illinois has long leaned on resilient players, and Newton fits that mold. The expectation is that he’ll recover and return to the field for the 2027 season, if not sooner.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Addressed A Tight End Problem Fans Were Watching
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Illinois Suddenly Has A Roster Problem It Cant Yet Solve
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Now a federal court in Colorado has stayed that injunction, leaving most of those athletes ineligible while the legal fight continues. Some players in separate cases still have temporary protection through individual lawsuits, but Smith and Lorick are not among them, and Illinois is left waiting for clarity on two roster pieces it had already counted on before the latest ruling scrambled the picture again. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Recruiting Momentum Just Reached Another Level Under Brad Underwood
Brad Underwoods recent run on the recruiting trail keeps giving Illinois a stronger case to sell. The latest sign came when five-star small forward Moussa Kamissoko scheduled an official visit with the Illini, giving Underwood his fourth official visit from a top-tier prospect in the 2027 class. For a program that just reached the Final Four without leaning on five-star talent, it is another reminder that Illinois is trying to turn on-court success into a deeper pipeline for the seasons ahead.
Kamissokos visit will be part of a busy senior-year itinerary, with nine official stops planned and several major programs in the mix. That kind of competition is the backdrop for what Underwood is building in Champaign, where the goal is no longer just to land one headline name but to stack high-end talent across multiple classes. Illinois has already shown it can win big without that level of recruit, and now it is pushing to see how much higher the ceiling gets if those players start choosing it too. [Read more 🡒]