Fighting Illini Add Decorated Transfer Huddleston for 2025-26
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois head coach Mike Small announced Monday (May 19) the signing of Dane Huddleston to the Fighting Illini men's golf program. Huddleston will join the Illini in 2025-26 as a junior transfer with two seasons of eligibility remaining after a successful two-year stint to begin his collegiate career at Utah Valley University.
Huddleston joins fall signee Dujuan Snyman as new additions for the Illini next season.
QUOTING HUDDLESTON: "The deciding factor for me to come to Illinois was Coach Small and the rest of the coaching staff, along with practice facilities that I believe are the best in the country!"
SMALL ON HUDDLESTON: "We are extremely excited to welcome Dane to the Illini golf family! Dane has clearly shown that he has the talent and ability to be a big-time collegiate player. He showed this past season that he can consistently win and compete at a high level and that he is very comfortable at the top of the leaderboard. Dane's personality, work ethic, and skill will fit in perfectly here at Illinois, and our entire program is fired up to have him join us next fall."
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois head coach Mike Small announced Monday (May 19) the signing of Dane Huddleston to the Fighting Illini men's golf program. Huddleston will join the Illini in 2025-26 as a junior transfer with two seasons of eligibility remaining after a successful two-year stint to begin his collegiate career at Utah Valley University.
Huddleston joins fall signee Dujuan Snyman as new additions for the Illini next season.
DANE HUDDLESTON | WOODLAND, WASHINGTON | UTAH VALLEY
HUDDLESTON'S HIGHLIGHTS: Huddleston, the 2025 WAC Golfer of the Year, comes to Illinois on the strength of one of the most successful individual seasons in NCAA history. During his sophomore campaign at UVU in 2024-25, he competed in all 11 regular-season tournaments, winning five individual tournament titles, including the WAC Championship, and finished fifth as an individual competitor at the NCAA Reno Regional – one shot from advancing to the NCAA Championship. Huddleston's five wins made him UVU's all-time leader in career victories and marked the fourth-most in a single season in NCAA Division I history. He became one of just 24 golfers all-time to win five or more events in a single season, trailing only NCAA record holders Jay Don Blake (Utah State, 1980-81), Tiger Woods (Stanford, 1995-96), and Matt Hill (NC State (2008-09), who each posted seasons with eight tournament wins. Through play at the 2025 regionals, Huddleston is No. 52 in the NCAA player rankings. During his freshman campaign in 2023-24, he competed in all 11 tournaments for the Wolverines with a team-leading scoring average of 71.84 and earned First Team All-WAC honors. For his career at Utah Valley, he teed off in 66 rounds over 23 events with a combined scoring average 70.68.QUOTING HUDDLESTON: "The deciding factor for me to come to Illinois was Coach Small and the rest of the coaching staff, along with practice facilities that I believe are the best in the country!"
SMALL ON HUDDLESTON: "We are extremely excited to welcome Dane to the Illini golf family! Dane has clearly shown that he has the talent and ability to be a big-time collegiate player. He showed this past season that he can consistently win and compete at a high level and that he is very comfortable at the top of the leaderboard. Dane's personality, work ethic, and skill will fit in perfectly here at Illinois, and our entire program is fired up to have him join us next fall."
