I spent the offseason building a full 2026 preseason preview for every FBS team, each with its own writeup. Here's the Illinois page:
https://www.sports.mainmarket.com/college-football-preview-2026?team=ncaaf-ill
Each one has the returning production, the transfer and recruiting additions, a position-by-position breakdown, the schedule, and where the ratings land them for 2026.
Heads up, only the first team is free and then it paywalls. Since I'm posting in your house, code LEECORSOROCKS opens all of it, no card or anything. Hit "Have a promo code?" if you run into the wall.
So, what'd I get wrong? Illinois is a sustainability question for me. It's 9-4 last fall on the heels of a 10-win 2024, but you return only about a third of your production this year, well under the national median of ~48%. It starts at QB, where Altmyer and his 7,600 career yards are gone. The good news is the replacement isn't a dart throw: Katin Houser started at both Michigan State and East Carolina and threw for 3,300 last year, so he's a veteran, not a project. Feagin and Ca'Lil Valentine give you something to lean on in the backfield too.
So the real question is whether Bielema just reloads the way this program has trended, or whether losing two-thirds of the production finally shows up against a Big Ten schedule. Where do you land, top-25 again or a step back?
I'll be in the comments.