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What past Illini would you add to this team?

R
If you could take one Illini from the past and add them to this year’s team, who would it be? My close following of Illini football goes back to the late 80’s. I have some recollections of the Rose bowl team in 1984, but those early teams weren’t on tv much.

Even though there are a ton of studs on the defensive side of the ball that could upgrade specific positions, I don’t think that would make this team better…so I would add an offensive player.

On offense, RB wouldn’t make sense and even though we had some really good QBs in the 80’s I don’t think that would move the needle much. Upgrading the oline is never a bad thing…so that’s a possibility. I think WR and TE would be the spots I would look. I think either a guy that could stretch the field or a big red zone target would be the direction I would choose. I don’t remember much about David Williams, other than he put up crazy numbers and I know Bellamy was a deep threat. At TE I know Dilger had a good career and we had a couple other decent TEs. I think Brandon Lloyd is the guy I would go with for some deep strikes, even though a big body in the RZ might help the most.

Curious who others would take.
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Five Illini Named Midseason All-Americans

bucshon
Five Illini Named Midseason All-Americans

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini - 6-1 and ranked No. 18 in the latest AP top 25 and 20th in the Coaches Poll - are off to the program's best start since 1953, and members of the Illinois program are being recognized nationally as media outlets across the country have begun to release their midseason All-America teams.

Three Illini earned midseason All-America nods from The Athletic, making the Orange and Blue one of five programs nationally – along with Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State – to have three players recognized on the list.

In all, five different Illini earned nine nods from The Athletic, Sporting News, and Associated Press, including Gabe Jacas who earned a pair of Midseason Freshman All-America accolades from The Athletic and On3.

Chase Brown
Brown enters the Illini's idle week as the national leader in rushing yards (1,059) and all-purpose yards (1,166). Brown is the first running back in the country to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season, and has rushed for 100-plus yards in a program-record eight straight games dating back to last year's finale. He tied the Illinois program record by reaching 1,000 yards in just his seventh game of the season, and has jumped all the way from 25th to sixth on the Illini's career rushing list, while becoming just the third rusher in program history to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons. In addition to his NCAA-leading rushing and all-purpose yardage totals, Brown also ranks first in the country in runs of 10+ yards (33) and yards after contact (619).

  • Associated Press Midseason All-American (First Team)
  • The Athletic Midseason All-American (First Team)
  • Sporting News Midseason All-American (First Team)
Gabe Jacas
Jacas has burst onto the scene as a true freshman for the Fighting Illini defensive unit. He is tied for the team lead with four sacks through his first seven collegiate games, and ranks seventh overall on the team with 22 total tackles. In addition, Jacas has tallied three quarterback hurries on the season. Jacas' four sacks are tied for the most in the country by a freshman entering Week 8.

  • The Athletic Midseason Freshman All-American
  • On3 Midseason True Freshman All-American
Jartavius Martin
Martin's senior leadership has made him a cornerstone of the Illini defense's success through the first seven games of the season. He ranks No. 11 nationally in passes defended (1.5 per game), and recorded at least one pass break-up in each of the team's first six contests. Martin ranks second on the team in total tackles (33.0), and has tallied 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and a pair of interceptions to add to the Illini's NCAA-leading total of 12. Overall the Illini defense ranks first in scoring defense (8.9 ppg) and total defense (221.0 yards per game). The Illini secondary ranks first in the nation in passes intercepted, first in passing efficiency defense (75.36), and second in passing yards allowed (143.1 yards per game).

  • Sporting News Midseason All-America (First Team)
Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton
Newton, a sophomore defensive tackle, anchors the Illini from the defensive front with a team-high 37 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. Newton's play as the No. 3-graded interior defensive lineman in the nation (according to PFF), has helped the Illini defense to the nation's No. 1 ranking in scoring (8.9 points per game) and total defense (221.0 yards per game). The Illini defensive front has also held opponents to just 77.9 rushing yards per game (4th in the NCAA), despite facing run-heavy attacks in victories over Big Ten foes Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.

  • Associated Press Midseason All-American (First Team)
  • The Athletic Midseason All-America (Second Team)
Devon Witherspoon
Witherspoon has been an integral part of the Illini's remarkable secondary play this season, leading the nation in passes defended (1.7 per game) entering Week 8, and pacing the Illini with 11 pass breakups on the year. Witherspoon has a 30.8 percent reception percentage against, the third-best mark in the country and best in the Big Ten among cornerbacks, according to PFF. He is the eighth-highest graded CB in the nation and has the third-best coverage grade in the country, while anchoring an Illini secondary that ranks first in the nation in passes intercepted, first in passing efficiency defense (75.36), and second in passing yards allowed (143.1 yards per game).

  • The Athletic Midseason All-America (Second Team)
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Initial 2023 KenPom Big Ten Ratings

I
Indiana - 12
Iowa - 23
Purdue - 25
Michigan - 26
Michigan St - 31
Ohio St - 32
Illinois - 33
Penn St - 46
Rutgers - 50
Wisconsin - 55
Maryland - 56
Northwestern - 70
Nebraska - 108
Minnesota - 109

Projects 11-9 Big Ten record and 8-2 (probably 8-3 when you add Baylor/VA) non-conference.

Contrast this with T-Rank that has us at #15 and sharing the Big Ten with Indiana with a 13-7 record.

Before you get too upset, this Illinois team is pretty impossible to project based on objective metrics. I'd expect the human voters to split the difference between these two models and start us around #24.
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Gabe Jacas

jonb60173
How are we not gushing about this 3* freshman? Just watched the recording of the Minny game and he jumps off the screen with big plays. Some are plays that won't show up in the stats but it's stuff like running guys down from behind, flushing the qb into someone else for the sack, making big hits, etc. For a freshman to do all this and only be a 3*, I'm stunned by the rating system that he's a 3*. I wouldn't expect a 5* freshman LB to make this much impact.
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