CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Much to the delight of Illini fans everywhere, defensive back Xavier Scott recently announced that he would be returning for the 2026 season.
Scott has been a consistent star in the Illinois
secondary and was eyeing his biggest year yet in 2025, especially with all the pre-season hype his team was garnering.
Things unfortunately did not go the two-time All-Big Ten nominee’s way, as he ended up suffering a season-ending ankle injury in just the team’s third game of the season.
After undergoing surgery on both of his ankles this offseason, although it may be tough, Scott is locked in on recovery and getting to where he needs to be for the next season.
“Just getting back to where you want to be and the level of football you want to play,” Scott said. “I just want to come back and prove myself all over again, the fact that I thought last year was the year, and it kind of fell short.”
Looking at things from head coach Bret Bielema, his staff and athletic director Josh Whitman’s perspectives, retaining a player of Scott’s caliber is a major boost to the team.
In his last full season, the DB finished with an impressive statline of 49 total tackles, six pass breakups and a Big Ten second-best four interceptions.
In terms of his on-the-field impact, Whitman had nothing but high praise for Scott.
“Before our very eyes, we’ve watched him grow into one of the most dynamic, successful defensive backs, not only in the Big Ten, but in all of college football,” Whitman said.
And when it comes to his character, it was more of the same.
“Just want to say thanks to him for trusting us and for being such an incredible ambassador, not only for the Illinois football program, but for this entire university,” Whitman said. “Couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s become, and really looking forward to what he has in store during the 2026 season.”
Throughout today’s college football landscape, if a player’s going to be leaving your team with any eligibility remaining, you can typically assume that it’ll be via the transfer portal.
For Scott, his decision lay between coming back to Illinois or declaring for the NFL Draft, something he’s considered for two consecutive off-seasons.
While his injury and the potential of not being able to give his all in events like Pro Day and the NFL Combine played a role in his decision, Scott stressed his desire to return to Illinois.
“Pro Day and Draft Day were coming up pretty fast, and I didn’t want to go out there and not perform the way I wanted to, so that definitely played a little part in it,” Scott said. “But I actually wanted to come back, and you know, have a full season of college football.”
Scott wasn’t the only member of the Illini secondary dealing with that same decision this offseason, however, as DB Matthew Bailey was grappling with it as well.
Just like Scott, Bailey chose to come back to Illinois for one last season, something that the dynamic duo consulted one another about.
Ultimately, they reached common ground and agreed that they’d both be taking on even bigger leadership roles.
“I talked with him, and you know, we want to do some things, and it’s up to us, we’re kind of the leaders of the unit for sure now,” Scott said. “It’s a lot of new faces in the building, so right now we’re kind of trying to get everybody on the same page and get to know those new guys.”
While the past year has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Scott, two things are certain heading into 2026.
He’s going to make the most of this offseason, and he looks forward to getting back out there and playing in front of the Illini faithful.
“I actually get an offseason, so I’m going to take benefit from this a lot and not take anything for granted,” Scott said. “Getting back out there on that field in front of the Illini fans will definitely be great, and I’m going to put on a show for everyone there.”
