Illinois Football: Joe Barna Confident D-Line Will Be Ready For Duke

Illinois Football is 1-0 to start the 2026 season following a 42-23 victory over UAB, but as expected, new DC Bobby Hauck has plenty to clean up within the Illini’s new 3-3-5 scheme before Duke (1-0) arrives in Champaign. Particularly up front, where the Illini need to quickly find a way to establish more consistency against the run.

Despite bringing home a strong win on Friday, Illinois allowed UAB to control the pace for much of the night, with the Blazers holding a heavy 41:03 to 18:57 edge in time of possession while rushing for 194 yards, compared to 150 for the Illini. Tackling was one of the biggest issues, particularly early, as Illinois struggled to get off the field before settling in and playing a much cleaner second half. It’s a very fixable issue, especially for seasoned veterans, but one that needs to be addressed quickly.

All that said, the challenge gets considerably tougher Saturday with Nate Sheppard and the Duke rushing attack.

Duke enters the matchup after a 17-3 win over Tulane in which the Blue Devils established the run very well behind Sheppard. The sophomore running back, a second-team All-ACC selection and Freshman All-American (The Athletic) last season, rushed for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025 before opening 2026 with a boom. Sheppard impressively carried 35 times for 227 yards and two touchdowns against Tulane last week, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

For Illini defensive lineman Joe Barna, he’s confident the unit can clean up the basics and be well prepared for Duke. He spoke with the media Wednesday (9/9) about the defensive line’s performance against UAB and what needs to improve before facing one of the ACC’s most productive rushing attacks.

Barna: The Illinois Football D-Line Has the Grit and Talent to Improve, but “There’s a Lot to Fix”

Barna acknowledged that while Illinois’ defensive front has plenty to clean up, the issues are very fixable for the veteran unit. Additionally, he sounded confident in how much this group can progress heading into a much tougher test in week two.

“I think we got a good group. Obviously, there’s a lot to fix. Tackling, you guys obviously know already. But I feel like we got the grit, and you saw guys running the ball. We tried to finish those plays.”

That focus becomes even more important against Duke, which just leaned heavily on RB Nate Sheppard to control the game against Tulane. Hauck’s defense will need to be more disciplined at the point of attack and finish plays when opportunities come, especially against a back like Sheppard who can turn second chances into big gains. Barna did not get into the specific schematic adjustments, of course, but he did make it clear that he believes the defensive line is ready for the challenge.

“There are little things here and there. I don’t want to really give away game plan stuff like that, but it would help to tackle a little bit better, but I’m very confident.”

Barna: The Illinois Football Defensive Line Is Well Aware of the Threat Dukes Rushing Attack Presents 

There is one obvious name that stands out when Barna looks ahead to Duke.

Nate Sheppard accounted for 246 total yards against Tulane, including 227 on the ground, while Duke averaged 5.1 yards per carry as a team. With the Blue Devils leaning so heavily on the run, Illinois cannot afford to let the Blue Devils star rusher dictate the game, as they allowed UAB to in week one. Of course, the Illini defensive front is well aware. 

“I mean, they got a stud obviously in number 20. So, he’s a guy, and I feel like they’ve been running a lot more than last year…. Got a new Quarterback… I got respect for those guys.”

Duke quarterback Walker Eget had a quiet opener vs Tulane, completing 13 of 26 passes for 131 yards. With a more open playbook likely against Illinois, the San Jose State transfer will likely have more opportunities to test the Illini through the air. Still, Sheppard’s performance last week, paired with Illinois’ NFL-studded secondary being the elephant in the room, showed Duke should have little reason to move away from the run. For Illinois, that puts plenty of pressure on the defensive line to stay disciplined with the small things and communicate very well.

For Barna, Communication is key

Luckily, Barna believes that communication has been one of the unit’s strengths through the transition to Hauck’s new 3-3-5 scheme.

“Communication, as you said, it’s huge between us. I think we’re really good. Honestly, all the guys….. Talking to each other, getting the right reads and stuff like that. I feel like that’s been really good.”

That will be put to the test Saturday. Illinois’ defensive line showed flashes against UAB, but Duke presents a much tougher test. If Illinois football can tackle better, communicate well, and limit Sheppard’s running second chances, the front should have a chance to bounce back in Week 2.