Is Illinois Football a Top-10 Team Entering 2025?

Illinois Football has the makings of a special 2025 season as Bret Bielema enters his fifth year leading the charge in Champaign.

High expectations, bolstered by an experienced roster and the hope for continuity, have brought a level of buzz surrounding the Illinois program that hasn’t been felt in quite some time—maybe ever—at this level, in the modern college football era.

As we inch closer to August and kickoff of the 2025 college football season, “way-too-early” and “post-spring” rankings have started to trickle in across social media from experts and analysts across the college football sphere. It appears many have bought into the Illini hype train. In fact, some outlets are projecting Illinois to begin the season in a position it hasn’t seen in decades.

Notably, Fox Sports College Football and NFL Draft analyst Joel Klatt, host of The Joel Klatt Show, has Illinois Football ranked No. 10 in his “Post-Spring Top 25” – ranking 4th place in the Big Ten behind Penn State, Ohio State, and Oregon.

Why are the Illini in such good company, in the eyes of the Fox Sports Analyst?

Joel Klatt on Why Illinois Football is a Top-10 Team After the Spring

According to Klatt, Illinois Football possesses all the makings to be a “damn good football team” in 2025. The Illini’s veteran roster, plus their opportunistic schedule presents them with an intriguing path ahead, and the chance to capitalize on continuity of progress, which has been rare in Champaign in the recent era of college football.

Of course, Luke Altmyer leading the charge offensively is a major boost as well….

Certainly, Illinois appears to have the makings are there for a special year 5 under Bielema. In fact, Klatt envisions big post-season dreams in Champaign. On Monday’s (5/5) editions of the Joel Klatt Show, the Fox Sports analyst gave his thoughts on why they are the No. 10 team in his “Post Spring” Top-25.

Klatt on Illinois Football at No. 1o in his “Post Spring Top-25”:

“Illinois…. sneaky sneaky good team. This number 10 ranking should signal that for everybody. Watch out for Illinois. 

They’ve got the experience in the right places to be a really good football team. And, they’ve got the schedule that’s going to land them, probably, in the college football playoff. 

Bielema is Building exactly what you would expect him to build at Illinois – Tough, hard nosed team, very experienced.

So, he gets the nod over Beamer (Shane Beamer and South Carolina – at the No. 10 spot).

They’re returning 16 starters, including their quarterback (Luke Altmyer). I love this experience metric, as we get further and further into this transfer portal and NIL era. What are we seeing? Michigan – experienced, win the national championship. Ohio State – experienced, win the national championship. Illinois – experienced… maybe they won’t win the national championship, but they’re gonna be damn good. 

The entire offensive line is back. They got to replace their two top wide receivers – I think they can do that. 

They could be the non-traditional power from the Big Ten that makes the playoff… I really believe that. 

Klatt further continues, “In the schedule they avoid Penn State (really good) they avoid Oregon (really good) they avoid Michigan (they’re really good) and they get Ohio State at home. That’s the only opponent on their schedule in the top-25. So, when you think about that schedule vs like a Florida schedule or an Oklahoma schedule or even a South Carolina schedule, and your like “I get it.” 

We saw it happen with Indiana last year and they made the playoff. I think Illinois could be that team this year.” 

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