Coordinator corner 'Play our greatest hits'

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Sep. 3—Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. provides perspective before the Illini open the 2026 season against UAB on Thursday night at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, via beat writer Scott Richey:

What do you want from Katin Houser?

"I just want him to be the quarterback. He doesn't have to try to be anything other than that — just the same guy that we've seen in practice in the spring and the summer. Trust what we're doing and go play football. He loves to play and compete. I'm excited to watch him play, but I just want him to stay within the offense, which I have no reason to believe he won't because that's what he does on a daily basis. The first game you really peel that back even more and focus on the fundamentals and play our greatest hits, so to speak. The things we've done the most during fall camp and spring camp, that's what we're going to take to the game."

How did Nathan Knapik's performance in the Music City Bowl affect how you saw the tackle position?

"It injected a huge amount of confidence into us when we view him. We liked him and liked his development, but he got thrown into a situation and took full advantage of the opportunity. He played extremely well in a big moment and just really showed he had a lot of poise and grit. Very pleased with how he played in that bowl game, and that gave him a springboard of confidence, personally, and the coaching staff as well. This guy can play for us, and he seized that moment."

What makes you optimistic about the entire offensive line?

"That's from what we've seen on a daily basis. I love the leadership that Jake (Renfro) brings and his experience. He has a calming presence for everybody, including myself. Something happened in practice the other day, and it was just a little, small mistake. I stopped it and looked at me and said, 'I've got you coach. That was me, and I've got it.' … Then you start piecing together the talent. The guards are experienced. Brandon (Henderson) is very experienced here. Maika (Matelau) isn't as experienced, but he's played a lot of football. The tackles have a similar skill set. They've gelled well together, work well together, and we're building a plan around what they do well. I'm excited to unveil that."

How has Brayden Trimble carved out a key role at wide receiver?

"Just his daily approach and his playmaking, and I can see his maturity as far as what we're doing from a schematic standpoint and even the positional fundamentals. He's a year older. You become wiser as you get older. Football, in particular, your first year can be overwhelming. … This cycle around, he's so much more comfortable with what we're doing, and he's got a tremendous skill set. He's a playmaker. Excited to watch him."

What's the challenge of scouting a UAB defense that's almost entirely new?

"It's part of football anymore — especially in the opener. It's very rare there's a lot of continuity in the offseason anymore for anybody. It's a unique challenge with a defensive coordinator (Todd Grantham) who's recognized nationally for his work and what he's done in the previous stops he's been in in his career. … Trying to piece together what that might look like is always a challenge. Ultimately, when the game starts, we'll figure it out the best we can. We feel like we have an idea of what to expect, but, inevitably, there's going to be some things that are thrown at us we have not planned for or prepared for. That's football. You've got to adjust and improvise as a staff. That probably is only exaggerated in the opener because there's more surprises in the opener."

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