This week, it would have been easy to forget that the New England Patriots are in fact a football club. Right now it feels like they're actually a reality show instead. However, the Patriots, like the other 31 NFL franchises, are in fact making drft picks right now, and they selected Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas with the 55th overall pick in the draft. One of the most … [Read more...] about Illini Edge Gabe Jacas Fills New England Patriots Biggest Need
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illini Head Coach Bret Bielema Sees a Bit of Vederian Lowe in NFL Draft Prospect J.C. Davis
Former Illinois Fighting Illini left tackle J.C. Davis is likely to hear his name called at some point on Saturday in the NFL Draft. Most prospect big boards have him in the range of 110s-170s overall. That is basically the mid fourth to early sixth round. Perhaps the Oakland native and New Mexico transfer could surprise, and get selected on Friday night, in the third round, … [Read more...] about Illini Head Coach Bret Bielema Sees a Bit of Vederian Lowe in NFL Draft Prospect J.C. Davis
Illinois Basketball: Where the Roster Now Stands After Flurry of Decisions
Wednesday brought a massive flurry of news for Illinois basketball. David Mirkovic, Jake Davis, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic all confirmed that they are coming back for next season. Then on Thursday morning, we learned that Ty Rodgers is entering the transfer portal. So what does the current roster look like for 2026-27 Illinois basketball? This chart below is up to date, … [Read more...] about Illinois Basketball: Where the Roster Now Stands After Flurry of Decisions
Josh Whitman Brought a New Golden Era to Illini Athletics
When Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, gave his farewell address it included this famous quote: "only when you're in the lowest valley, do you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain." As the Illinois men's basketball team heads to Indianapolis this weekend, to face UConn in the Final Four, one can't help but think of this quote. Illinois … [Read more...] about Josh Whitman Brought a New Golden Era to Illini Athletics
Illini Land Stefan Vaaks, Fill Shooting Guard Void Left by Keaton Wagler Departure
As soon as it opened, the men's basketball transfer portal had a flood of names in it. It was well over 1,000 names, and then quickly surpassed 2,000, just like that. And pretty soon, the transfer market was open, and recruiting efforts were already well underway. The Illinois Fighting Illini got a very sought after asset in Providence shooting guard Stefan Vaaks. He fills this … [Read more...] about Illini Land Stefan Vaaks, Fill Shooting Guard Void Left by Keaton Wagler Departure
Illini Basketball Transfer Talk: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic
March Madness is now over and the transfer portal is open, so you know what that means, Illini basketball fans- the silly season is here. It's time for the first 2026 edition of Illini basketball transfer talk, and we have items on three different players: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic and Toni Bilic. By the way, and this is no surprise here, Keaton Wagler has officially … [Read more...] about Illini Basketball Transfer Talk: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic
Mihailo Petrovic Exclusive: ‘Final Four was a beautiful experience’
During Illinois' opening round NCAA Tournament rout over Penn, Philadelphia Eagles icon, soon-to-be brother-in-law of Taylor Swift and guy who appears in every third commercial that airs during a NFL game Jason Kelce tweeted about the Illini. “Who knew that Illinois had so many Serbians,” the ESPN talking posted on Twitter. Actually, Illinois only has one Serbian on the roster, … [Read more...] about Mihailo Petrovic Exclusive: ‘Final Four was a beautiful experience’
Andrej Stojakovic Making Own Name for Himself; He’s Much More than Peja’s Son
As the Illinois Fighting Illini went on their deep run through March, certain story angles got beaten to death. We chronicled most of them in our Illinois Fighting Illini Bingo Card/Drinking Game with "Camera Shows Peja Stojakovic" near the top of the list. Right next to it is "Announcer Says Andrej Stojakovic Has a Completely Different Kind of Game tha His Ftaher." Ok, we get … [Read more...] about Andrej Stojakovic Making Own Name for Himself; He’s Much More than Peja’s Son
Exclusive with Keaton Wagler: “once you’re an Illini, you’re always an Illini”
Keaton Wagler, what else is there left to say about this sensational freshman at this point? Is he coming back to Illinois next season? Well, probably not, as he projects out as a NBA Draft lottery pick. Most likely, he will be top 10, perhaps top 8 overall, should he declare. Another reporter asked him if he's determined his future yet, on Saturday night, after the Final … [Read more...] about Exclusive with Keaton Wagler: “once you’re an Illini, you’re always an Illini”
David Mirkovic on Illini Loss: ‘it just wasn’t our day, it happens’
Illinois Fighting Illini power forward David Mirkovic said it best in postgame: "It just happens, the basketball, it doesn't want to get in." That was exactly how it felt watching Illinois lose to UConn 71-62 tonight in the Final Four. The Illini got a lot of great open looks, both inside and outside. Assistant coach/offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood had the system … [Read more...] about David Mirkovic on Illini Loss: ‘it just wasn’t our day, it happens’