Notes: Illini officially turn page to 2026 season with fall practices now underway

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Aug. 4—CHAMPAIGN — Bret Bielema experienced a first in his lengthy coaching career Monday, opening fall training camp at Illinois with a roster boasting more newcomers on his 110-man roster than returning players.

Not all of those 110 players, however, were on the field Monday night at Gies Memorial Stadium for the Illini's first training camp practice. A half dozen or so, including wide receiver Hudson Clement, linebacker Daniel Brown and four-star freshman safety Jacob Eberhart, were either fully sidelined or limited after late summer injuries.

Another handful won't play at all in 2026 for Illinois. Sidelined with season-ending injuries dating back to various points in the offseason are freshman linebacker Jaylen Stewart, junior tight end Tanner Hollinger, sophomore tight end Grant Smith, sophomore linebacker Erik Gayle and sophomore defensive lineman Cameron Brooks.

Davon Grant won't play for Illinois — ever.

"Once he got here, he was a guy that had some things medically that we'd just never be able to clear the hurdle on," Bielema said about the freshman wide receiver from DeKalb. "He's kind of in a holding pattern right now. He won't be able to play for us here at Illinois. I think he's going to stay here, go to school and take a medical (retirement)."

Better news on the injury and medical front came for offensive lineman Dezmond Schuster, who was added back to the Illinois roster after receiving a waiver to play his sixth and final season in Champaign.

Bielema also announced a pair of summer position changes, with Jershaun Newton moving from quarterback to wide receiver and Utah State transfer Will Holmes shifting from linebacker to defensive end for a hybrid role between the two positions.

Housekeeping complete ahead of Monday night's work at Memorial Stadium, Bielema led the 2026 team in its first practice under the lights.

"Not one tackle, turnover or touchdown carries over into this year," the Illinois coach said. "I'm really trying to be adamant with these guys about approaching everything with a daily approach. This is practice one, and we get 25 the same as everybody else in college football. We're trying to take it one day at a time and doing the best we can to put our guys on that focus."

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Not all that much has changed for Matthew Bailey after Bielema decided to make a change at defensive coordinator and bring in Bobby Hauck to run his 3-3-5 scheme.

Bailey will play a similar role in the middle of Hauck's defense like he did the past two years for former defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. The only real change is the 10 pounds Bailey gained, now checking in at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, to play more of a hybrid safety/linebacker position for Hauck.

That position, a staple in Hauck's defense, always gets a special name. In Champaign that, inevitably, became "Chief."

"It moves me around more, but the role is still similar," Bailey said about how he fits in Hauck's defense. "It's kind of hard to articulate Xs and Os because I think we've done so much in the past having the five-down defense and then going into the three high-safety look and going four-down and two high-safety look. I've kind played those roles to a degree, but having all those options in one defense is really what makes this one different."

Bailey's role in the middle of the defense and his experience as a multi-year starter should make him pivotal to how successful Hauck's system is in year one. On-field communication will run through the Moline native, making his knowledge of and comfort with the defense vital.

"All of the details, the fine details to the defense, is pretty new," Bailey said. "Understanding that like the back of my hand and knowing that is the biggest thing."

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Juice Clarke played in a similar defense to Hauck's 3-3-5 during his junior season at Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla. The 6-1 cornerback finished the 2021 season for the Raiders with 38 tackles, four interceptions and four pass breakups.

"When I watched my junior highlights, I was making plays in that type of defense," Clarke said. "I understand it. It allows you to play much faster. I was able to trigger on a lot more plays. I was able to react and play football.

"This defense has a lot of details you've got to know what to do because, if not, it can lead to six. A lot of people can be in different positions. It gives us flexibility and makes us more versatile in this defense."

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Few Illinois players switched positions this spring. Joe Barna went from outside linebacker to defensive line — mostly because of the change in defensive system — while Jordan Anderson moved back to running back after a season at tight end. Chowan University (N.C.) transfer Maurice Smith Jr. also moved from quarterback to tight end.

The most notable change? One-time four-star running back Kaden Feagin also flipping to tight end. The former Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond star now wears No. 83 and is listed at 260 pounds with Bielema saying he's closer to 270.

"He looks incredible," Bielema continued. "He looks better than a mannequin, man. He's got all the right bumps in all the right places. He's had a really good summer. To see him out on the practice field in a different number is kind of different, but he looks like a tight end. … I think he's excited to play the position and have a huge impact on our team."

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There's plenty of time between Monday's start of fall camp and the Sept. 3 season opener against UAB for Bielema to change his mind, but the Illinois coach is quasi-settled on a starting defensive line. The plan, as of now, is to start Pat Farrell and Barna on either side of Jacksonville State transfer nose tackle Darrell Prater.

"Prater I think squatted 600 pounds for five reps the other day," Bielema said. "I've never seen that before in a college football player. He's kind of freaky. Joe and Pat have played a lot of good football for us and are ready to take that next step."

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Bielema was just as open about his projected starting offensive line heading into the 2026 season. While there weren't any surprises in the group of Christian Martin, Maika Matelau, Jake Renfro, Brandon Henderson and Nathan Knapik, the Illinois coach referencing that fivesome as his official first group was notable.

Even if only Henderson has any experience in Champaign beyond Knapik starting the Music City Bowl. Martin started at Colorado State, Matelau did the same at Mt. San Antonio College (Calif.) and Renfro started at both Cincinnati and Wisconsin.

"During the course of the year, I made a huge commitment of time on my behalf, on our personnel staff, Pat Embleton and his crew, to look at potential portal players and make sure we're going after the right people," Bielema said knowing he would lose four starters after the 2025 season. "We don't have reps at Illinois, but … I think reps in college football are very, very important. I'm counting on those reps to carry into Illinois, as well."

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Katin Houser will start the 2026 season at quarterback for Illinois. Where the Illini turn in 2027 after Houser exhausts his eligibility is a question lingering in the background this fall.

Bielema called sophomore Carson Boyd and freshman Michael Clayton II "two of the best high school quarterbacks" he's signed during his nearly two decades as a head coach. Boyd was Illinois' third-string quarterback in 2025, and Clayton arrives after throwing for 72 touchdowns and more than 6,000 yards during his high school career at Seminole (Fla.) and Miami Edison (Fla.).

"Two guys that were really high on our list," Bielema continued. "Two guys that I think came to Illinois and took a lot less money than other places that were offering them because of the opportunity that we had.

Bielema would, in his ideal world, turn to one of those two in 2027.

But …

"The value of a quarterback that has reps is really, really high," the Illinois coach said. "If you get a $20 million roster or $30 million dollar roster or $40 million — whatever your roster is — that's all trusted to one guy, right? If that guy gets hurt or has a bad moment or doesn't play the way you want, to have money invested in a backup quarterback is a really big deal. This market, I think, will be at a new level after this season for quarterback play that will be unprecedented."

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