The former Illinois pipeline to the NFL keeps growing, and after another cut-down day, 22 ex-Illini are set to open the 2026 season on 53-man rosters.
The biggest eyebrow-raiser came in San Francisco, where undrafted rookie James Thompson Jr. survived the roster trim and landed on the 49ers’ active group. San Francisco opens the season on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:35 p.m. CST in Melbourne, Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.
Thompson Jr. earned his way there with a strong preseason showing and a productive final year at Illinois. The 6-foot-6, 308-pound defensive lineman was a 2025 All-Big Ten honorable mention pick by both coaches and media after finishing with 41 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup in 13 starts following his transfer from Wisconsin.
He logged 63 snaps across San Francisco’s three preseason games this month and recorded a sack in the preseason opener against Tennessee on Aug. 13.
Kyle Shanahan’s staff kept nine defensive linemen on the active roster.
Another Illinois name changed teams on Sunday afternoon. TeRah Edwards was traded from the Los Angeles Chargers to the Carolina Panthers for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
The second-year defensive lineman spent the 2025 season on the Chargers’ practice squad as an undrafted free agent, and now he’s set to make his regular-season debut when Carolina hosts the Chicago Bears at noon CST on Sunday, Sept. 13.
New England leads all NFL teams with former Illini on its Week 1 roster. Mike Vrabel’s Patriots open with a Super Bowl rematch against Seattle on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7:20 p.m. CST on NBC, and they’ll have Tommy DeVito, edge rusher/outside rookie linebacker Gabe Jacas and undrafted rookie free agent Tanner Arkin on the roster.
Seattle, meanwhile, will have Devon Witherspoon ready to go. The Pro Bowl cornerback became the highest paid defensive back in the NFL earlier this month after signing a restricted contract extension.
Of the 22 former Illini on active rosters, 18 played for Bret Bielema and 12 were drafted.
Not everyone made it through Sunday cleanly. A group of Illinois undrafted free agents was waived, including quarterback Luke Altmyer by Detroit, wide receiver Hank Beatty by Tennessee, offensive lineman Melvin Priestly by Detroit, offensive lineman Josh Gesky by Green Bay and center Josh Kreutz by Indianapolis.
If they clear waivers, they can return to the practice squad of the team that cut them. If another team claims one of them, that player has to go straight onto that club’s Week 1 active roster.
Three former Illini were also placed on injury lists before or by the cut-down deadline: Arizona tight end Tip Reiman, Washington defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton and linebacker Milo Eifler.
Here’s the full list of former Illinois players on Week 1 NFL 53-player rosters:
Isaiah Adams - OL - Arizona
Sydney Brown - DB - Atlanta
TeRah Edwards - DL - Carolina
Chase Brown - RB - Cincinnati
Ted Karras - OL - Cincinnati
Pat Bryant - WR - Denver
Alex Palczewski - OL - Denver
Kerby Joseph - DB - Detroit
Jake Hansen - LB - Houston
Tommy DeVito - QB - New England
Gabe Jacas - OLB - New England
Tanner Arkin - TE - New England
J.C. Davis - OL - New York Giants
Isaiah Williams - WR - New York Jets
Devon Witherspoon - CB - Seattle
Nate Hobbs - DB - San Francisco
Vederian Lowe - OL - San Francisco
James Thompson Jr. - DL - San Francisco
Chase McLaughlin - PK - Tampa Bay
Tony Adams - DB - Tennessee
Quan Martin - DB - Washington
Nick Allegretti - OL - Washington
Players on IR/PUP:
Milo Eifler - Tennessee
Jer’Zhan Newton - Washington
Tip Reiman - Arizona
In Other News...
Illinois Fans Got Some Surprising NFL Cutdown News This Week
Roster cutdown week always has a way of turning college fan bases into overnight NFL followers, and Illinois was no exception. A handful of Fighting Illini alumni were caught up in the leagues preseason roster moves ahead of the 2026 season, with some names waived, others surviving the final trim, and a few still waiting to see where they land next.
The biggest note for Illinois fans was rookie James Thompson Jr. making the San Francisco 49ers 53-man roster, a significant early milestone for a player just starting his pro career. TeRah Edwards also stayed in the mix after going from the Los Angeles Chargers to the Carolina Panthers, while some waived players, including Luke Altmyer, are expected to be on practice squad watch if they clear the wire. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the rise even more compelling is that Wallace is still only partway through her college runway. Womens Hoops Masterclass has her rated as a top-25 prospect for the 2028 WNBA Draft, and with two years of eligibility left, Illinois is not just watching a breakout season fade into the rearview mirror. The real question now is how far her game can still climb before her college story is done. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois May Need This Young Receiver Sooner Than Expected
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What makes Trimble especially interesting now is that his timeline may be moving up faster than expected. Illinois is dealing with injuries to other receivers, and that has opened the door for him to become part of the conversation much sooner than the 2026 projection once suggested. If the progress he has shown carries into the season, Trimble could end up being one of the more important young players on the roster. [Read more 🡒]