Gabe Jacas to opt out of Illinois bowl game

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois star senior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas will not be playing in the Music City Bowl, ending his college football career.

In a personal statement, he stated that he will be opting out of the bowl game.

A four-year player for the Illini, Jacas tallied 27 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 184 total tackles during his time playing at the collegiate level.

He closed out his career with a bang, notching two sacks in the team’s win over Northwestern in the last week of the regular season.

Those two sacks got him to 11 on the season, enough to make him the Big Ten’s sack leader.

Recently, it was announced that Jacas received All-Big Ten honors, as he was voted to the defensive First Team by conference media and to the Second Team by the coaches.

Jacas is likely going to be the first Illini off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft, and will join the ranks of former Illinois players in the pros.

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