News: Illinois Football Adds Australian Punter

News: Illinois Football has built a strong pipeline for Australian native Punters to chase NFL dreams in Champaign, which now seemingly continues to remain alive and well for coach Bret Bielema.

Talented class of 2026 punter Jack Gray, a 6-foot specialist from Adelaide, South Australia, has officially announced his commitment to the Illini, becoming the fourth ProKick Australia product to join Bret Bielema’s program since 2020. In fact, Illinois has featured a ProKick Australia punter on its roster every season since Blake Hayes first took arrived in 2017 during the Lovie Smith era. What began as an international experiment for many has now evolved into a full-blown tradition—and one of the more reliable position pipelines in college football. Bielema, of course, has wasted no time taking full advantage, turning the Australian connection into a key piece of Illinois’ identity on special teams.

Now with 24 commits following Jack’s commitment on Thursday (8/7), Illinois Football currently ranks 28th in the nation in their impressive class of 2026.

How does he impact the Illini moving forward?

Congratulations to a young fella Jack Gray from Prokick who committed to a full scholarship to Illinois.
What a place to get a degree and what a place to play.
We have had some great ones go through Illinois and jack will be special. Brilliant. PROKICKAUSTRALIA pic.twitter.com/GTpEvw5RB4

— Prokick Australia (@ProkickAus) August 7, 2025

How Jack Gray Impacts Illinois Football

For the past 8 seasons, Australian punters have had a stronghold on the Illini’s special teams unit. Hugh Robertson followed Blake Hayes. This offseason, Illinois added Melbourne native Keelan Crimmins from Purdue—giving the Illini one of the Big Ten’s most experienced specialists for 2025.

Crimmins is a senior but has used only two seasons of eligibility. Therefore, the staff plans to apply for an extra year of eligibility, which, if approved, could keep him in Champaign through 2026. Add in Texas State transfer Lars Rau, who has three years of eligibility remaining, and you start to see the depth that Jack Gray is walking into, which isn’t a bad thing.

Rather than being thrown to the wolves as a true freshman from a foreign country, in the Big Ten, Gray will have time to develop—both physically and mentally—under special teams coordinator Robby Discher. Bielema and Discher seemingly see long-term upside in Gray, who will almost certainly redshirt and spend at least a year or two learning behind Crimmins and Rau.

Depending on how things shake out—with Crimmins’ eligibility and Rau’s development—Gray could be in a position to compete for the punting duties in 2027 and beyond.

The ProKick Australia program has produced over 300 Division I punters, including several who find themselves on NFL rosters. Illinois trusts this system—and the success of Hayes, Robertson, and Crimmins has only reinforced that belief in Gray.

Dec 31. 2024. Orlando. FL. USA. Illinois. Fighting Illini. Head coach Bret Bielema. South Carolina Gamecocks. Camping World Stadium. Credit: Jeremy Reper. Imagn Images.

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