Illinois' Kaden Feagin Makes Position Switch to Tight End, Jordan Anderson Returns to Running Back
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Kaden Feagin has always been a unique weapon in Illinois’ backfield - a 255-pound bruiser with surprising speed and soft hands. Now, heading into his final season in Champaign, he’s flipping the script.
After three years and over 1,200 rushing yards as a tailback, Feagin is making the move to tight end - a decision that came straight from the player himself. Head coach Bret Bielema recalled the moment Feagin texted him in early December asking for a one-on-one meeting.
Naturally, Bielema feared the worst: the transfer portal. Instead, Feagin walked into the Smith Center and told his coach something he didn’t expect.
“He sat down and said, ‘I want to move to tight end,’” Bielema said. “I said, ‘All right, I guess you’ve made up your mind.’”
Feagin’s production at running back was nothing to scoff at - 1,251 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, and a steady presence in the Illini offense. He added 30 catches for 341 yards and three scores through the air. In 2025 alone, he rushed for 507 yards and seven touchdowns, good for 12th in the Big Ten, while catching 16 passes for 188 yards and two more touchdowns.
But for all his success as a power back, there was always something intriguing about how he moved in space. Bielema pointed to a game-changing moment from this past season - a 64-yard reception against Southern California that helped seal a walk-off win. Feagin hit 21 miles per hour on that play, and it opened a new door in the minds of both player and coach.
“When we ran that swing route against USC and he eclipsed 21 miles an hour, I was like, 'Holy (expletive), that kid can run,’” Bielema said. “He just physically is a very dominant player - both the physicality and the ability to run.”
Now, the focus shifts to refining his game at a new position. Tight end isn’t just about catching passes - it’s about being a complete player, especially in the run game.
And that's where Feagin has some work to do. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as one of the Illini’s least effective run blockers among players with at least 50 snaps in 2025.
That’s where new tight ends coach Jared Elliott comes in. Elliott, who was introduced alongside new defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck on Feb. 12, is ready to take on the challenge.
“It all starts with want-to in the run game,” Elliott said. “He’s got the build.
He’s got the frame. He’s got the athleticism.
He’s got all the physical traits. Now it’s about base technique and fundamentals.
It’s going to take time. That’s why spring ball is so important - 15 practices to really hone in.
Kaden is going to need that, and I’m excited to get to work with him.”
Feagin’s move to tight end sets off a ripple effect in the Illini offense. In what amounts to a positional trade, Jordan Anderson - who transitioned from running back to tight end before the 2025 season - will head back to the backfield.
Anderson brings a different kind of physicality at 240 pounds, and while he spent the season primarily as a tight end, he still saw action as a short-yardage runner. He logged nine carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus three catches for 12 yards. His biggest moment came in the Music City Bowl, where he picked up a crucial first down on the final drive of Illinois’ 30-28 win over Tennessee.
“He’s just such an unselfish, intellectual and willing teammate - and he’s talented too,” offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. said back in September. “We gave him the football last season in crunch time and there’s a reason for that. It’s because we trust in who and what he is.”
Anderson’s versatility was on full display in Illinois’ 45-19 win over Duke. He played nine offensive snaps in that game - four as a base tight end, three as an H-back, and two as a fullback, a position that’s nearly extinct in today’s game.
For Anderson, the constant shifting isn’t a burden - it’s a badge of honor.
“I personally think it’s pretty cool that I have the skills, the intelligence and the opportunity to do so many different things for the team,” Anderson said. “I don’t get labeled as this or that, and not everybody can handle that - but I can. The key is I understand my role is very important, so as long as I don’t take it for granted, I’m learning every day something new.”
Anderson came to Illinois as part of Bielema’s first full recruiting class, a three-star prospect out of Joliet Catholic High School. He made headlines in the 2021 IHSA Class 4A championship game, rushing for a record-setting 306 yards and four touchdowns, and catching another score. He piled up 1,544 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior, earning first-team All-State honors.
Now, with Feagin shifting to tight end and Anderson returning to the backfield, Illinois is reshaping its offensive identity with two veteran playmakers embracing new roles. It’s a unique kind of roster flexibility - the kind that only works when players buy in, trust the process, and put the team first.
And for the Illini, that’s exactly what’s happening.