The 2025 Illinois football team kicks off its season Friday night against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois.
The Illini open their most anticipated season in decades as a major favorite against the purple-clad underdogs from Macomb.
So, in the wake of this excitement, let’s preview each position on the field through the lens of what their position coaches have to do for the Illini to reach their ceiling.
Offensive Coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.
Strengths:
Ability to run a balanced offense regardless of game script.
Flexibility to maximize
the potential of differently styled backs.
Ability to adjust rapidly to personnel issues like injuries and departures.
Key stat: Illinois’ offense improved from 83rd in 2023 to 65th in 2024.
Barry Lunney Jr. is entering his fourth season at the helm of the Illinois offense. During his time, Illinois has made two bowl games and sent multiple skill players to the NFL.
He has cultivated a tremendous reputation as a talent developer and strategic force.
Statistically, however, the Illini offense has been middle-of-the-road for the most part under Lunney. The scrutiny will only increase in the wake of the departures of Zakhari Franklin, Josh McCray, and especially Pat Bryant.
Lunney returns with an uncertain wide receivers room (more on that later), but major continuity along the offensive line and under center.
Mission: Playcall for explosiveness to limit the amount of one-score games.
Luke Altmyer’s third season as the starter comes with the comfort of incumbency and the swagger of evolution. So perhaps Coach Lunney should put more confidence in his signal caller and play a more aggressive brand of football. Let Hudson Clement and Malik Elzy do what they do best. Less underneath stuff on third downs. Use the play-action game to take way more shots downfield.
Altmyer has demonstrated better ball security. So now it is time to unleash him.
Speaking of Luke Altmyer and his evolution…
Co-Quarterbacks Coach Art Sitkowski
Strengths
Rock star charisma on the sideline.
Razor-sharp recruiting ability bolstered by youth, enthusiasm, and recent experience.
Jersey attitude.
Coach Art looks like a future superstar in the coaching world. He made 247Sports’ 2025 30under30 list. Sitkowski transitioned to coaching immediately after his final season playing in Champaign.
He brings an in-depth knowledge of the modern quarterback position, and that has shown on the recruiting trail. Sitkowski has taken the lead on prospects like Michael Clayton and Kamden Lopati. Those are prep commitments Illinois rarely obtained in the past several generations.
Mission: Get Luke Altmyer drafted.
I would guess that if I asked Luke Altmyer, he would say that his NFL future is up to his hard work and God’s plan.
But Art’s instruction could actually impact in-game results as well as eventual Pro Day and Combine throwing results.
Altmyer being drafted will mean even more than legend Tommy DeVito making the Giants and sticking around for multiple seasons. It would be a feather in the caps of both Lunney and Sitkowski, and would have a massive impact on quarterback recruiting/commitment retention in future classes.
Running Backs Coach Thad Ward
Strengths:
He invented Littyville.
He has coached bot running backs and wide receivers, and has been a foundation piece of Illinois football for the better part of a decade.
All of his Illinois backs seem to be productive somehow.
Key Stat: Aidan Laughery had 109 yards after contact…in the Northwestern game alone.
This one is pretty easy. Thad Ward has a thunder and lightning duo of Aidan Laughery and Kaden Feagin. A healthy Feagin has shown explosiveness and thunderous power that gets people on the all-conference team. And Laughery has the kind of breakaway speed that makes coaches salivate. He may be the fan favorite on an entire roster full of lovable dudes.
Also, Ca’lil Valentine has yet to be fully unleashed. And while the loss of Josh McCray will matter, Valentine appears poised to take the next step into a larger role.
Mission: Put East Central Illinois studs in bubble wrap.
All that Illinois needs from this room is good health. Laughery and Feagin are highly productive when they are on the field. Both have demonstrated improvement every year on campus. Both could be all-league backs, and either could lead the squad in touchdowns.
None of those things will happen if they are sidelined again. So Coach Ward needs some bubble wrap and a magic wand.
Offensive Line Coach Bart Miller
Strengths:
Instills a nasty streak in the squad.
Has steadily improved his performance on the recruiting trail.
Has made the most out of the transfer portal and JuCo ranks.
Bart Miller spent some time early on in his tenure in Champaign dodging criticism for poor offensive line play. There have been some performance issues with the interior line, often underperforming in big games.
But things have improved in the last year. JC Davis and Melvin Priestly have stabilized the tackle spots. And Miller gets an extra Omaha Steak for excellence in the ancient art of retention.
The entire starting five is coming back. Davis, Josh Gesky, Josh Kreutz, Brandon Henderson, and Priestly are all back in Champaign. However, for Illinois to genuinely reach its prodigal ceiling, the group has to perform even better than last season.
Continuity is good. Performance is better.
Mission: Translate retention into better run blocking.
Players like Davis and Gesky grade out better as pass blockers and are less effective in the run game. With the return of three high-potential running backs, this group has to lay the lumber like classic Bielema teams.
The Russell Wilson-led Badgers had a Heisman contender quarterback and two 1,000-yard backs. They also had elite offensive line play. To produce similar results, Illinois has to smash fools at the point of attack.
No Illini offensive lineman got a higher PFF grade than JC Davis’ 67.8. That will likely not be good enough for the Illini to take that next step.
Tight Ends and Special Teams Coach Robby Discher
Strengths:
Multi-tasking.
Getting the most out of blocking tight ends.
Buttoning up coverage weaknesses in special teams play.
Key Stat: The all-time leader in receiving touchdowns by an Illini tight end is Daniel Barker (11).
Coach Discher is going to be under a pretty hot spotlight. After recruiting misses on JC Anderson and Mack SUtter, the Illini have failed to land the superstar prep tight end they have been seeking for a generation.
There has also been limited production from tight ends as receivers in recent years. Tip Reiman became a day two NFL Draft pick largely on the strength of his blocking prowess.
The current roster has two potential receiving weapons: transfer Cole Rusk and true freshman Logan Farrell. One is recovering from an injury, and the other is…also recovering from an injury. So there is no real certainty that the productivity will improve enough to make a massive impact. Illinois keeps building the tight end room with transfers from Division II and FCS programs. Will that be enough?
Bold prediction: Jordan Anderson will catch at least one touchdown from a tight end or H-back spot.
Mission: Get Cole Rusk in the end zone at least 3 times this season.
Getting Rusk back on the field is like landing a four-star transfer. He has the potential to make Luke Altmyer’s life a lot easier, especially in the red zone. Having his size along with Malik Elzy, Collin Dixon, and Kaden Feagin in the red zone gives Illinois the kind of length and physicality coaches fantasize about.
Can Coach Discher turn the ship around and elevate the productivity among tight ends?
Wide Receivers Coach Justin Stepp
Strengths:
Clearly a future head coach.
One of the most respected WR coaches in the country with the resume to prove it.
Charismatic recruiter who has Illinois potentially set up well into the Carson Boyd era.
Key Stat: Pat Bryant had only one drop all season.
The WR room is the ultimate mystery box. There are so many unanswered questions.
Who will be the alpha dog target hog?
How good is Hudson Clement?
Is Justin Bowick more Josh Imatorbhebhe or Jafar Armstrong?
Is Malik Elzy ready to live up to his potential?
Is Collin Dixon better suited in the slot or on the perimeter?
Are Mario Sanders and Alex Capka-Jones ready for larger roles?
What can a healthy Tysean Griffin contribute a year removed from a major injury?
What can Illinois get out of Ashton Hollins this season?
That is a room with a lot of potential but not a lot of sure things. So Coach Stepp has to develop a three-deep at X, Z, and slot.
Mission: Do not let the losses of Bryant and Zakhari Franklin limit the upside.
The Illini have a room full of size, speed, and potential. They have youth, experience, and a true freshman named Brayden Trimble who could absolutely start his superstar turn in his first year on campus.
But Pat Bryant was an all-world, productive mega star who brought both superstar playmaking and role model consistency. Combine that with Zakhari Franklin’s precision route running and knowledge of Lunney’s scheme, and the Illini are filling massive shoes.
You will not replace them in 1:1 terms. But you can channel your inner Billy Beane and replace them in the aggregate.
And there is enough quantity and quality to do just that.
