Illinois Football: 2025 Fighting Illini Season Preview and Prediction

Illinois Football: 2025 Fighting Illini Season Preview and Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Going into the season, the Illinois football program is in its best position in more than a generation. Sixteen starters return from a team that beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. The team should be thinking about the College Football Playoff, but the schedule is an obstacle. Illinois plays a pivotal early game at Duke and later hosts USC and defending national champion Ohio State.

[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 College Football Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]

More Big Ten team previews:

Indiana | Iowa | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan State

Minnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State | Oregon | Penn State

Purdue | Rutgers | UCLA | USC | Washington | Wisconsin

Illinois 2025 Season Preview and Prediction

Previewing Illinois’ Offense for 2025

How big of a deal was it for quarterback Luke Altmyer to return for his senior season? He announced it on the loudspeaker at a sold-out Illinois basketball game, drawing the loudest ovation of the day.

After an inconsistent first year in 2023, Altmyer morphed into the kind of quarterback head coach Bret Bielema and his staff had hoped for when he transferred from Ole Miss. Touchdowns and yards were up; turnovers were down. The team won 10 games for the first time since 2001.

Protecting Altmyer and clearing holes for the running backs are five returning starters on the line. The best of the bunch is left tackle J.C. Davis, who was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA. Center Josh Kreutz is the ringleader up front.

What was expected to be a four-player rotation at running back was reduced to three in April when Citrus Bowl MVP Josh McCray entered the transfer portal. Juniors Aidan Laughery and Kaden Feagin will split the workload with sophomore Ca’Lil Valentine. Feagin is healthy again after missing half of the 2024 season with a hip injury. There is concern at receiver, where 69% of the 2024 production has moved on to the NFL.

West Virginia transfer Hudson Clement joined the team in the spring and is coming off a 51-catch season. Tanner Arkin returns at tight end.

Related: Big Ten Predictions for 2025

Previewing Illinois’ Defense for 2025

Coordinator Aaron Henry was all smiles when outside linebacker Gabe Jacas and two-time All-Big Ten Star Xavier Scott decided to put off the NFL. Jacas (8.0 sacks in 2024) is one of the top returning pass-rushers in the Big Ten. To supplement a line hit by graduation, Illinois found help with Wisconsin transfers James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal.

Linebacker Dylan Rosiek led the team in tackles until suffering a broken leg late in the season. He is ready to pick up where he left off.

Illinois is deep and talented in the secondary with returning starters Scott, Miles Scott, Torrie Cox Jr. and Matthew Bailey.

Previewing Illinois’ Specialists for 2025

Do-everything Hank Beatty ranks among the nation’s topreturn specialists. David Olano is the latest in a long line of consistent Illinois kickers. He hit 17-of-20 field-goal tries. Australian Keelan Crimmins will punt after ranking among the Big Ten’s best in 2024 at Purdue.

National Ranking: 17

More Big Ten team previews:

Indiana | Iowa | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan State

Minnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State | Oregon | Penn State

Purdue | Rutgers | UCLA | USC | Washington | Wisconsin

Related: Athlon Sports' College Football 2025 All-America Team

Related: College Football Rankings: Projecting the Top 25 Teams for 2025

Related: Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview Magazine Available Now

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.