Last year saw the Illinois Fighting Illini football team have their best season since the 10-2 Big Ten title, Champaign campaign of 2001. And a big part of that was due to the defensive front seven. While yes, it was an overall team effort, across the board, the defensive line and linebackers position group was critical. With the Illini returning a very high percentage of their statistical production, from 2024, at all positions, we’re going to see the Illini ranked pretty high in many a 2025 preseason poll. The Illini football program hasn’t had back to back special seasons since 1989 and 1990. But if this turns out to be a very memorable one, edge rusher Gabe Jacas could lead the way.
In the rough and tumble, ultra-loaded 18-team Big Ten, Illinois needs their D-line and LBs to be at their absolute best, all season long. They’re going to need run-stuffers and pash rushers bringing their A-game, every Saturday. Jacas is the team’s best overall player, regardless of position, hands down.
He’s the most talented as well, with Tankathon, Draft Sharks and many many other NFL mock drafts giving him a second round grade.
The world’s first NFL Draft expert, Mel Kiper Jr., gives him a first-round grade, and thus, so do we.
“He’s gonna make a lot of money in the NFL one day,” Jacas’ teammate, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer said to RG.org earlier this summer. Gabe Jacas and Luke Altmyer were named to the Big Ten’s Preseason Honors list, which was announced yesterday at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas.
The list is only 15 names long, and it denotes the top players in the league.
It says a lot about how far Illini football has come under Bret Bielema, at least according to preseason projections by the media. With 18 teams in the league, each of which have 22 starters, making it on to a list 15 deep is a big deal, and the Illini have two.
Later on in that RG interview, Jacas articulated why Illini football surged last season.
“Having just the brotherhood meaning in football,” he explained. “Always showing up for each other.
“There were games where we, as a defense, needed the offense. In other games, the offense needed us as a defense.
“So just depending on each other, counting on each other, to show up and do our jobs, and that’s what we did each game.”
We took a look at the Illini football depth chart, over at Our Lads.com, and Jacas will line up at the left OLB slot. The Mike, or middle linebacker, is Dylian Rosiek, who has played a big part in Champaign these past couple years.
He was a huge contributor for the team that won the 2024 Citrus Bowl 21-17 win over #14 South Carolina. At the Will linebacker, Kenenna Odeluga is projected to start, while highly touted Wisconsin transfer Leon Lowery Jr. will round the position group at right outside linebacker.
Bielema, and Defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, will have a lot to talk about with the former Badger.
Shifting gears to the defensive line, in this base 3-4 with multiple fronts, all three projected starters are transfers. We start with two more former Badgers, James Thompson Jr. slots in at left defensive end while the nose tackle is Curt Neal.
Finally, Tomiwa Durojaiye is expected to take the other defensive end spot, on the right.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter