No. 12 Illinois has claimed a spot in the preseason Top 25 poll for the first time since 2008.
That’s a long time ago, but it pales in comparison to the last time Illinois pulled off back-to-back excellent seasons. That hasn’t happened since John Mackovic was in charge, when the Jeff George-led 1989 team posted a 10-2 record and the following year’s squad finished 8-4.
This year’s Illini welcome back 16 starters from a 10-3 team that wound up 20th in the final College Football Playoff ranking. Hopes are high for a season that eclipses 8-4 and, indeed, lands Illinois its first CFP invitation.
The journey begins Friday night when Western Illinois, an FCS school picked to finish in the middle of the Big South/OVC pack, visits Champaign.
Illinois’ offense boasts almost everybody from last year’s group with the notable exception of top receivers Patrick Bryant, the Denver Broncos’ third-round pick, and Zakhari Franklin.
Third-year starting quarterback Luke Altmyer straightened out his senior-year NIL deal in December, then ignored SEC overtures that reportedly would have doubled his money.
“Luke has continued to be very impressive at quarterback,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema. “The wide receiver room, probably the one we’re most interested in, Collin Dixon and Hank Beatty just continue to show up every day. Very impressive dudes.”
If there’s an Opening Night concern for Illinois, it’s on the offensive line. The Illini retain all five starters, but third-team all-Big Ten left tackle J.C. Davis — the best of the bunch — has been taking it easy to calm down a case of plantar fasciitis. Right tackle Melvin Priestly, meanwhile, missed a few days with a sprained ankle.
“Really not overly concerned, especially with a guy like J.C.,” Bielema said. “Sometimes these moments are actually a blessing in disguise.”
Western Illinois struggled with its Big Ten buy game last September – Indiana hammered the Leathernecks 77-3 – but second-year coach Joe Davis’ squad has made big strides since. The Leathernecks finished 4-8 last year while leading their nine-team league in total offense (427.5 yards per game) and ranking second in scoring (31.0 ppg).
Western Illinois was acclaimed for bringing in the best recruiting class in the Big South/OVC, which helped lead to a fifth-place nod in the preseason poll. It won’t take long for the Leathernecks to know where they stand. After facing Illinois in their opener, they visit Northwestern the following Friday night.
“I can promise you this,” Davis said. “This team won’t blink and we’ll be ready to go. We have the talent to be very competitive in those games.”
Senior quarterback Chris Irvin takes over for the graduated Nate Lamb, who threw for 3,332 yards and 21 touchdowns. Irvin completed 17 of 29 passes last year for 174 yards and three scores.
Illinois visits Duke on Sept. 6. The Illini open the Big Ten slate on Sept. 20 at Indiana.