College football is almost back, and Illinois is nearing the point where the first real answers of fall camp start to surface. With Week 1 approaching and the opener against UAB set for Thursday, September 3, Bret Bielema still has time before he puts out an official depth chart. For now, the projected lineup offers the clearest look yet at how this rebuilt roster could take shape.
The biggest storyline on offense is at quarterback, where Katin Houser is projected to step in after Luke Altmyer moved on to the NFL and is now competing for the backup job with the Detroit Lions. Rather than leaning on an inexperienced freshman or sophomore, Bielema went to the portal and landed the ECU transfer. Through spring ball and fall camp, Houser has looked like a strong fit, building chemistry with the rest of the offense and even helping bring along the younger quarterbacks.
Projected Illinois offensive depth chart:
QB: Katin Houser, Carson Boyd, Michael Clayton II
RB: Ca'Lil Valentine, Aiden Laughery, Jordan Anderson
X-WR: Hudson Clement, Brayden Trimble, Eddie Kasper
Z-WR: Collin Dixon, Alex Perry, Kenyon Alston
Slot: Jayshon Platt, Ty Robinson, Nas Rankin
TE: Christian Abbney, Kaden Feagin, Davin Stoffel
LT: Christian Martin, Champ Smith
LG: Maika Matelau, Brandon HAnsen
C: Jake Renfro, TJ McMillen
RG: Brandon Henderson, Eddie Tuerk
RT: Nathan Knapik, TJ Taylor
The receiver group gives Houser plenty to work with. Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement are back, and FAU transfer Jayshon Platt joins the mix, giving Illinois a loaded room on the outside and in the slot.
Up front, the offensive line was one of the offseason’s biggest talking points because Illinois had to replace a lot of snaps. Wisconsin transfer Jake Renfro is projected to hold down center, flanked by Maika Matelau and Brandon Henderson on the left side.
Christian Martin and Nathan Knapik, both transfer additions, are expected to bookend the line. It may not resemble last year’s group, but it was clearly a position Bielema attacked hard in the offseason.
On defense, the most noticeable change is not just who is playing, but how they’re being used. Bielema hired Bobby Hauck as the new defensive coordinator, and Hauck has brought a new system with him. Illinois is set to operate out of a 3-3-5 look this season, putting a premium on the secondary.
Projected Illinois defensive depth chart:
DT: Carter Janki, Pat Farrell, Connor Sullivan
NT: Darrell Prater, Demtrius Johnson, Isaiah White
DE: Joe Barna, Isaiah Thomison, Parker Crim
JACK: Daniel Brown, Mason Muragin, Will Holmes
WLB: Grant Beerman, Ismael Kante, Cameron Thomas
MLB: James Kreutz, Robert Edmonson, Jack Paris
CB: Jakwon Morris, Nick Hankins Jr., RJ Jones III
CB: Juice Clark, Tanner Heckel, Almarian Thomas
NICKEL: Xavier Scott, Deuce Fillmore, Andre Lovett Jr.
FS: Mac Resetich, Lavon Williams
SS: Matthew Bailey, Xanai Scott, Jacob Eberhart
That shift puts players like Xavier Scott and Matthew Bailey right in the middle of the action at nickel and safety. Both had NFL decisions staring them down after last season, but each chose to return to Illinois for another year.
And that’s what makes this defense such an interesting puzzle. The Illini are one of the few Big Ten teams using this setup, which means opposing offenses won’t be able to lean on a standard week of prep. They’ll have to build a completely different plan just to deal with Illinois.
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