ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI NEWS

Donny Navarro - Gets start in opener Navarro is listed as a starter at receiver for Saturday's game against Nebraska, Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.com reports.

Impact Brian Hightower and Jafar Armstrong are sidelined for Saturday's game, leaving Navarro and Isaiah Williams to get the starting spots at receiver. Navarro reeled in eight of 22 targets for 88 yards in 2020

AUGUST 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Chase Brown - Gets nod at running back Brown will get the start at running back for Saturday's game against Nebraska, Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.com reports.

Impact This comes as little surprise after Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry over 104 attempts last season. Illinois has Chase Hayden and Reggie Love to take carries as well, but Brown will lead the backfield.

AUGUST 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Drew Dan - Unavailable Saturday Dan is not dressed out for Saturday's game against Nebraska, Scott Richey of The Champaign News-Gazette reports.

Impact Dan is entering his first season with the Illini after transferring over from New Mexico State in the spring. It's unclear if he's dealing with some sort of injury or is just a healthy scratch for Saturday's season-opener.

AUGUST 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Jafar Armstrong - Not on dress list Armstrong will not play Saturday against Nebraska, Joey Wagner of 247 Sports reports.

Impact The Notre Dame transfer will not make his Illinois debut Saturday as he is not on the dress list. Brian Hightower is out as well, leaving Illinois with few proven options in the pass game.

AUGUST 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Brian Hightower - Not dressed Saturday Hightower is not dressed for Saturday's game against Nebraska, Scott Richey of The Champaign News-Gazette reports.

Impact Hightower is one of the Illini's veteran receivers heading into this season so his absence is definitely not a minor one. The 6-3 wideout hauled in 11 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns last season. His next chance to suit up will be next Saturday against UTSA.

AUGUST 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Fans head back to stadiums, some with vax cards and masks

Fans headed back into stadiums for the start of college football season

AUGUST 28, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

How to win $5,000 on Nebraska vs. Illinois for free

College football is back, and when Nebraska takes on Illinois on Saturday on FOX, you can win big for free!

AUGUST 27, 2021

Bielema makes Illini debut; Huskers' Frost faces key season

The Nebraska-Illinois game in Champaign has major implications for both programs even though both have mostly finished at or near the bottom of the Big Ten West in recent years

AUGUST 26, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Marquez Beason - To miss first few weeks Beason will miss the first few weeks of Illinios' regular season due to a hamstring injury, Bret Beherns of WCIA.com reports.

Impact Beason made the switch to wide receiver after playing cornerback early in his carer at Illinois and could eventually lay claim to a role in the offense. It doesn't appear he'll have a chance to do that out of the gate in 2021 and it's unclear how much of a role he will have even when he's healthy.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Brandon Peters - Given starting nod for opener Head coach Brett Bielema on Monday officially labeled Peters the starter for the season opener versus Nebraska, Nico Haeflinger of FOX Illinios reports.

Impact Peters figured to b the heavy favorite to land the starting gig for Illinois but has not officially landed the job under his new head coach. He'll look to turn things around after a lackluster 2020 campaign that saw him replaced on multiple occasions due to poor play.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Dylan Thomas - Medically retiring Thomas announced via Twitter that he has decided to medically retire from football.

Impact Thomas was a walk-on that was unlikely to see anytime on the field. He did not say why he was medically retiring other than some discussions he had with his family and the medial team.

AUGUST 19, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Where Oregon's tight-end room stands in week two of fall camp With competition still prevalent throughout many position groups, the tight end room seems to now have a hierarchy.

AUGUST 16, 2021 • 247SPORTS.COM

Illini turn to Bret Bielema to keep building in Big Ten

Illinois opens its season Aug. 28 against Nebraska

AUGUST 16, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

How an assist from Barry Alvarez helped Bret Bielema land the Illinois job and return to his Big Ten roots Bielema and Alvarez had a falling out after Bielema took the Arkansas job in 2013, but their rekindled friendship led to his Big Ten return.

JULY 23, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Casey Washington - Returning to Illinois Washington is transferring back to Illinois where he will be eligible for the 2021 season, Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.com reports.

Impact After leaving Illinois in favor of Wake Forest back in January, Washington will return to Champaign and rejoin Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini for the 2021 season. The 6-foot-2 wide out recorded 21 catches for 238 yards in his last two seasons with the team.

JULY 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Illinois' Alex Palczewski leads Lift for Life group to victory while raising money for good cause "All of this, it's nice, but it doesn't compare to the real world," Palczewski said. "There's actual people going through tough challenges,...

JULY 16, 2021 • PANTAGRAPH.COM

What does NIL mean for an offensive lineman? Blake Jeresaty will find out Can a college offensive lineman profit from NIL? Blake Jeresaty wants to find out.

JULY 4, 2021 • POSTANDCOURIER.COM

New Jersey offensive lineman Fries commits to Illinois Younger brother of former Penn State offensive lineman is Illini's third Class of 2022 commit from New Jersey.

JULY 3, 2021 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM

Ryan keeps pushing Illini's goal: 'We want to capture the whole state' Bret Bielema's director of Illinois high school relations using past connections and longtime love of football to aid recruiting efforts.

JULY 1, 2021 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM

Illinois Football: Former Illini wide receiver Casey Washington, "I'm back" Illinois football is in the middle of a transition period right now with numerous players hitting the transfer portal or leaving the team. T...

JUNE 30, 2021 • WRITINGILLINI.COM

Illinois Football: Felix Hixon reaffirms Illini in top 5, commitment date set Numerous recruits have taken an official visit to the Illinois football program, but one top target has now set a commitment date. In total,...

JUNE 29, 2021 • WRITINGILLINI.COM

Cumby, Frenchie Jr. among Illini departures; Taylor changes position Illinois football is experiencing multiple player exits, while another of its quarterbacks has changed positions.

JUNE 29, 2021 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM

Illinois Football: Illini take depth hit as lineman enters transfer portal The class of 2020 brought some decent talent to the Illinois football team via the recruiting and transfer market. While the national recrui...

JUNE 29, 2021 • WRITINGILLINI.COM

Illinois Football: Illini pick up Crystal Ball prediction for Mississippi athlete To start the week off right, the Illinois football team is potentially in line to add another member to the class of 2022. The Illini curren...

JUNE 28, 2021 • WRITINGILLINI.COM

Asmussen: Williams 'not switching just to be average' Illini receiver chatted with reporters (in person, too) on Thursday afternoon for the first time since moving away from quarterback

JUNE 25, 2021 • NEWS-GAZETTE.COM