Illinois football: Preview and predictions for the Illini in 2026
Why college football is all made up, & breaking down the Bears' roster | Credential'd
FOX Chicago's Sam Panayotovich and Chris Kwiecinski welcome you to Credential'd, your all-access pass to Chicago sports. The Bears have finalized their 53-man roster, the Cubs and Phillies are neck and neck in the NL Wild Card standings and the college football season is finally here. The guys share their favorite Big Ten sleepers this year. New Credential'd episodes drop every week on the FOX Chicago vYouTube page and wherever you get your podcasts.
Illinois football fans don’t have to wait for Saturday. The Illini are back in action on Thursday.
Here’s a preview of the Fighting Illini’s football’s upcoming 2026 season, where Illinois eyes to continue its line of success under Bret Bielema.
Illinois football: Key Information
Head coach: Bret Bielema (63-37 overall at Illinois)
Key additions: QB Katin Houser (transfer from East Carolina), C Jake Renfro (Wisconsin), OT Chris Martin (Colorado State), OT Maika Matelau (Mt. San Antonio College, No.1-ranked junior college interior lineman), WR Jacob Eberhart (recruit), defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck (Montana).
Key departures: QB Luke Altmyer (NFL), LB Gabe Jacas (NFL), WR Hank Beatty (NFL), OT J.C. Davis (NFL), DB Miles Scott (NFL).
Illinois football 2026 preview
What we know:
The transfer portal brought experience to Champaign. Watching Josh Kreutz, Altmeyer, Jacas, Beatty, Davis and Scott all departed for the league means there’s a whole rack of shoes to fill for Illinois.
It starts with the quarterback, though.
Katin Houser can sling the ball. He threw for 37 touchdowns and 5,306 yards in two seasons at East Carolina after starting at Michigan State. He found his football as a quarterback, and it’s shown.
The defense has its leaders in fifth-year safety Matt Bailey, senior corner Juice Clarke and junior corner Tanner Heckel. Xavier Scott, who was a 2025 preseason all-Big Ten cornerback, returned after missing all of 2025 with an injury.
Whatever happens to Illinois in 2026, they won’t blink at any challenge. They have plenty of experience to draw from.
What we don't know:
As with most transfer portal teams, it’s not clear how quickly this team can play cohesively.
The Illini have plenty of experience coming in, though. It helps getting a center in Jake Renfro, who brings Big Ten experience.
Quarterback brings a question mark, too. But, Houser played at Michigan State before transferring to East Carolina. He understands what it takes to play in a league like the Big Ten.
The biggest question is how the defense can adjust to playing first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck’s scheme.
Big picture view:
The Illini’s schedule is pretty favorable in 2026, though.
Three home games to open the season helps. As does getting Nebraska, No. 2 Oregon and No. 22 Iowa at home. It’s easier to dream about an upset when you’re sleeping in your own bed.
If Houser settles in at quarterback like Altmeyer did with a balance of throwing ability and mobility, the Illini will continue their success. If not, they’ll need to find other ways to score the ball.
If Illinois’ defense comes along under Hauck, then Illinois can be a top-half defensive unit in the Big Ten. That will help the Illini keep the same success it’s found in the last two years under Bielema.
What helps is Hauck’s extensive background as a head coach in Montana. There, he was a national championship contender for the better part of a decade.
All of this means a 10-win season isn’t out of the question.
Illinois Fighting Illini 2026 Football Schedule
September 3 – vs. UAB
September 12 – vs. Duke
September 19 – vs. Southern Illinois
September 26 – at Ohio State
October 3 – vs. Purdue
October 10 – at Michigan State
October 24 – vs. Oregon
October 31 – at Maryland
November 6 – vs. Nebraska
November 13 – at UCLA
November 21 – vs. Iowa
November 28 – at Northwestern
2026 season prediction: 8-4
The Source: Predictions and football information were gathered by FOX Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski.