Football
Illinois Football: Highlighting new members of the offensive staff
The Illini Football team is less than 9 days away from Kickoff
On September 3, Illinois Football opens its season in Champaign against the Blazers of Alabama-Birmingham.
Unlike last season, expectations are more modest for an Illini squad that lost offensive stalwarts Luke Altmyer, J.C. Davis, Hank Beatty, Melvin Priestly, Josh Kreutz, and Tanner Arkin.
The offensive unit has injected some new blood into the mix. After the wildly successful Luke Altmyer era, how can the Illini offense support Katin Houser this year and build a solid bridge to an even stronger future?
Let’s take a look at Barry Lunney’s new lieutenants.
Running Backs Coach Tyrone Wheatley
Key Stat: Illinois’ rushing attack dipped by over 15 yards per game in 2025..
Tyrone Wheatley is a familiar name to Big Ten fans of a certain vintage. The Michigan Man gashed the conference during a stellar collegiate career that led him to the pros. A decade-long coaching career preceded a varied, deep 18-year coaching journey prior to his arrival in Champaign.
He served as head coach at Division II Wayne State (MI) and Baltimore MEAC institution Morgan State. He’s also coached productive running backs in the NFL and in college, including his alma mater.
Replacing Thad Ward is a challenge not only from a teaching standpoint, but on the recruiting trail where Ward used extensive relationships in Chicago, St. Louis, and Florida to help Illinois land a lot of its top recruits during his two tenures.
Mission: Bring back the thump.
Close games are often won on the margins. An extra yard could mean the difference between a win and a turnover on downs and a victory formation for the bad guys. Getting yards between the tackles with physical, impactful runs keeps the sticks moving and the defense dreading each snap.
With Ca’lil Valentine’s versatility and Aidan Laughery’s shiftiness on the perimeter, senior Jordan Anderson and true freshman Javari Barnett’s 230+ pound frames could do Josh McCray-like damage inside.
Illinois ran to the outside on 3rd and 4th and short more often than one would expect from a Bielema-coached team. Is this the year Illinois unleashes a pair of hammers?
Tight Ends Coach Jared Elliott
Strengths:
Former head coach with in-state ties.
His tight ends actually catch passes.
Inspirational figure on the sidelines a la Corey Parker.
Key Stat: Illinois’ tight ends combined for under 200 yards in 2025.
Welcome to Chambana, Coach Elliott. The top projected receiving tight end on the roster is now running his routes in Tucson. Also, three of the players in your already-thin position group are likely out for the season. So…have fun with that.
All kidding aside, this room is going through significant turmoil. And while sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train, in this case it could be a former running back from Illinois’ backyard changing positions to add explosive playmaking to the much-maligned tight end room.
(The much-maligned tight end room that somehow keeps sending dudes to the NFL. Just never the ones we expect.)
Kaden Feagin at 6’3 260 didn’t succeed as much as expected running head-first into massive linemen.
Will his lot improve running at smaller defensive backs and linebackers? He has the speed to get by and the power to get through, so maybe this will be his true breakout.
But in order for this to be his biggest campaign yet, he’ll have to prove that he can stay healthy.
(It’s kind of ironic that the guy who is most frequently injured is one of the last men standing in a decimated room.)
Without JuCo transfer BJ Thurman, Feagin projects as the most impactful receiving threat in the room along with true first-year Will Vala. Veteran blockers Christian Abney and Davin Stoffel have potential to provide enough support as blockers to patch any offensive line issues, so coach Elliott’s role will be crucial.
Mission: Make Illinois a destination school for tight ends.
The top prep tight ends summarily reject Illinois. This is true in spite of Bret Bielema’s track record of putting tight ends in the NFL. But that’s not enough.
This is where perhaps Elliott can elevate the room above Robby Discher’s version. If Feagin can notch 50 targets this year, prospective tight ends can see how they could be used in this system. That may be the best way to attract the talent other programs sign every year at the position.