Football

Illinois Football Lands in top portion of Big Ten Preseason Media Poll

Illinois Football lands in the top five of the Big Ten’s unofficial preseason media poll

Published

4 weeks ago

July 21, 2025

Illinois Football players entering the field.

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Malik Elzy (8) and Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ashton Hollins (2) lead the team out of the tunnel before the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

News: The Big Ten has released its unofficial football preseason media poll, and according to Brett McMurphy of On3, Illinois Football has landed at No. 4 in the early rankings.

.@clevelanddotcom Big Ten preseason media poll

1-Penn St (11 1st place votes)
2-Ohio St (10)
3-Oregon (2)
4-Illinois
5-Michigan (1)
6-Indiana
7-Iowa
8-Nebraska
9-USC
10-Washington
11-Minnesota
12-Wisconsin
13-Mich St
(tie) Rutgers
15-UCLA
16-Maryland
17-Northwestern
18-Purdue

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 21, 2025

The Illini are in elite company, with Drew Allar and Penn State leading the way, followed by national champion Ohio State (who visits Champaign on 10/11), 2024 Big Ten Champion Oregon, and of course, your Illinois Fighting Illini.

With 19 starters returning in 2025-26 from a 10–3 squad that capped its season with a Citrus Bowl victory, including, most notably, third-year starting quarterback Luke Altmyer, it’s no surprise Illinois is drawing plenty of preseason buzz. The Illini have become one of the national media’s “keep an eye on” stories heading into the 2025 season, with plenty of rising expectations.

The question now: Can Bret Bielema keep the Illinois Football program’s momentum rolling and create a new standard in Champaign? Illini fans are all too familiar with the sting of promising seasons, followed by serious letdowns. However, this feels like Bret Bielema’s best shot to shatter that pattern, and furthermore, potentially position Illinois as a true contender in the Big Ten and, of course, the 12-team college football playoff.

With just 39 days until kickoff, Illini fans won’t have to wait much longer to see this team prove it on the field.

Luke Altmyer celebrating a win with teammates.

Nov 16, 2024. Champaign, Illinois. USA. Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer. Memorial Stadium. Credit: Ron Johnson. Imagn Images.

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Kirkland Chappell

Kirkland is an expert source for Illinois athletics news. He is the lead Football analyst at Armchair Illini and has been featured in top media publications like Bleacher Report, Yard Barker, Autograph, Newsbreak, CBS Sports and more.