Illini Football 2024

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#51      
Ander1345
There's probably more knowledgeable people on this board but just my 2 cents

QB: Marginally better - Altmyer healthy, hlbut no QB other than Altmyer has an in game rep.

HB: Decently Better(???) - None of our backs have been consistently healthy, Anderson missed the entire season. Improved OL play(which we will get I'm pretty sure) will help.

WR: Step back - We lose Williams and Washington and not sure where the production comes from. Love Bryant's game but one of Elzy, Wilcher, or Hollins stepping up their game could completely change the season. EDIT: Beatty has a real opportunity as well(sorry!).

TE: Moderate improvement - Rusk seems like the real deal, Griffin Moore flashed.

OL: Significant Improvement - JC Davis the prize of the portal for us I think, added a lot of solid bodies and have some good talent for depth and the future. Schuster being healthy should help.

DT: Huge shoes to fill - Not sure who steps up here to be honest, but if we can stay healthy I expect a lot of rotation.

DE/OLB: Jacas sounds hungry after a dip in 2023, Holmes healthy, Coleman back, could be a strength but relies a lot on our DT rotation.

LB: always a solid position group under Beielema, need to get healthy here from what I've gathered from Bret's pressers.

DB: Lumping this together because feeling long winded but also because Henry has a lot on his shoulders now with no true DB coach on staff until after the spring. Will it affect the season? Will he rise to the challenge? Honestly.... I think so. My bold prediction is that Tobe, Xavier Scott, and Miles Scott take massive strides. Matt Bailey back, we CAN do it.
 
#53      
Joel Goodson
Illinivek23 said:
With Keith being so banged up last year - I really like what BB and Coach Jamison have done to shore up the DL depth with hungry veterans. And if the ILBs/OLBs take a step forward - this D can show a big improvement over last year.

Count me as optimistic as a whole - like the direction of the program. Could we use some big-time recruits, absolutely. A good W-L season will help a lot.
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same. our recruiting is improving, albeit incrementally (not as fast as we'd like). the caliber of our players is improving, but the conference is so strong that it somewhat masks that. pretty fine line between good results and failure. taking a macro view, Bielema and staff have bootstrapped the program pretty darn good. job's not finished, obviously
 
#54      
ChiefGritty
Joel Goodson said:
same. our recruiting is improving, albeit incrementally (not as fast as we'd like). the caliber of our players is improving, but the conference is so strong that it somewhat masks that. pretty fine line between good results and failure. taking a macro view, Bielema and staff have bootstrapped the program pretty darn good. job's not finished, obviously
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In the 18-team divisionless Big Ten our recruiting is a stain on the side of the highway.

The B1G West and a bunch of superstars who were inherited from Lovie (and expertly developed by BB and staff, don't get me wrong) has been masking the hopelessness of the situation.

I don't mean to say this to be negative on BB. It's 80% the broader context, 20% any concern about what he's doing. But the reality is that our talent deficit to our opposition is as bad as it has ever been.

Part of the promise of BB is that roster cohesion and player development can make up that gap. I'm skeptical but we shall see.

I'm being a parody of myself being all doom and gloom, I get it, and I don't want to belabor this point. My conviction here is mainly just feeling like people don't understand how much harder our schedule just got.
 
#55      
Joel Goodson
ChiefGritty said:
In the 18-team divisionless Big Ten our recruiting is a stain on the side of the highway.

The B1G West and a bunch of superstars who were inherited from Lovie (and expertly developed by BB and staff, don't get me wrong) has been masking the hopelessness of the situation.

I don't mean to say this to be negative on BB. It's 80% the broader context, 20% any concern about what he's doing. But the reality is that our talent deficit to our opposition is as bad as it has ever been.

Part of the promise of BB is that roster cohesion and player development can make up that gap. I'm skeptical but we shall see.

I'm being a parody of myself being all doom and gloom, I get it, and I don't want to belabor this point. My conviction here is mainly just feeling like people don't understand how much harder our schedule just got.
Click to expand...

I think the discerning portion of the fanbase fully gets it
 
#56      
Ander1345
ChiefGritty said:
In the 18-team divisionless Big Ten our recruiting is a stain on the side of the highway.

The B1G West and a bunch of superstars who were inherited from Lovie (and expertly developed by BB and staff, don't get me wrong) has been masking the hopelessness of the situation.

I don't mean to say this to be negative on BB. It's 80% the broader context, 20% any concern about what he's doing. But the reality is that our talent deficit to our opposition is as bad as it has ever been.

Part of the promise of BB is that roster cohesion and player development can make up that gap. I'm skeptical but we shall see.

I'm being a parody of myself being all doom and gloom, I get it, and I don't want to belabor this point. My conviction here is mainly just feeling like people don't understand how much harder our schedule just got.
Click to expand...
The problem is every off-season you basically have to re-recruit your roster, and literally any developmental player who even has a half way decent season will be getting big NIL offers.
 
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#57      
redwingillini11
ChiefGritty said:
In the 18-team divisionless Big Ten our recruiting is a stain on the side of the highway.

The B1G West and a bunch of superstars who were inherited from Lovie (and expertly developed by BB and staff, don't get me wrong) has been masking the hopelessness of the situation.

I don't mean to say this to be negative on BB. It's 80% the broader context, 20% any concern about what he's doing. But the reality is that our talent deficit to our opposition is as bad as it has ever been.

Part of the promise of BB is that roster cohesion and player development can make up that gap. I'm skeptical but we shall see.

I'm being a parody of myself being all doom and gloom, I get it, and I don't want to belabor this point. My conviction here is mainly just feeling like people don't understand how much harder our schedule just got.
Click to expand...
While I try to operate in a state of optimism, I fear that I have some similar feelings deep down. I think there is no doubt that BB has raised the floor of the program, but this comes at a time that other programs are reaching new heights. Being solid in the B1G West probably could have had us regularly at 6-8 wins most years. But now adding Oregon and USC to the schedule, as well as an annual series against Mizzou in non con coming soon.... we are probably settling in comfortably into 5 win territory, and it will take a special year to get to 6 wins or more.
 
#58      
ChiefGritty
Ander1345 said:
The problem is every off-season you basically have to re-recruit your roster, and literally any developmental player who even has a half way decent season will be getting big NIL offers.
Click to expand...
Well and the thing is, Bielema & Co are practicing what they preach in that regard. We have the fewest portal departures in the conference over the last two years. Our portal entrants are QB's (which is just a different thing in general), and mostly size/age/depth along both lines.

It's an intelligent strategy and unlike the Lovie era it is a consistent and thought-out one, not just grasping at whatever is easiest and post-hoc justifying it.

But none of that changes the reality that our recruiting is nowhere even close to the teams we will have to beat in order to not just be a perpetual doormat from 2024 onwards, and really has shown very little pulse under Bielema in general, to a disappointing degree.

Are those things connected? Is there a concerted strategy to dedicate more of our NIL resources in-house rather than promising the moon in the HS and transfer marketplace? Interested to hear any insider perspectives on that, I don't follow the world of football recruiting nearly as closely as I used to, and it's obviously undergoing radical changes for the same reasons basketball is.
 
#61      
Ander1345
ChiefGritty said:
Well and the thing is, Bielema & Co are practicing what they preach in that regard. We have the fewest portal departures in the conference over the last two years. Our portal entrants are QB's (which is just a different thing in general), and mostly size/age/depth along both lines.

It's an intelligent strategy and unlike the Lovie era it is a consistent and thought-out one, not just grasping at whatever is easiest and post-hoc justifying it.

But none of that changes the reality that our recruiting is nowhere even close to the teams we will have to beat in order to not just be a perpetual doormat from 2024 onwards, and really has shown very little pulse under Bielema in general, to a disappointing degree.

Are those things connected? Is there a concerted strategy to dedicate more of our NIL resources in-house rather than promising the moon in the HS and transfer marketplace? Interested to hear any insider perspectives on that, I don't follow the world of football recruiting nearly as closely as I used to, and it's obviously undergoing radical changes for the same reasons basketball is.
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It's not unlike being a NFL head coach except you're also basically the GM, and your "contracts" with players are null and void if other people's money starts talking.

I absolutely do not envy the stress of a job like that, though I would take the paychecks in a heart beat lol.
 
#62      
STLflyinIllini
ChiefGritty said:
You're not helping my argument Joey!
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eh; besides Taz and Love, we haven't lost much of our total production last year. can't blame any program if there's no room on the depth chart and the kid wants to try to get PT somewhere else. The year before, we pretty much only lost Hightower and Hart, and neither were top 2 at their position for us.
BB has been pretty good at retaining his productive players, which would support your argument.
 
#64      
ChiefGritty
STLflyinIllini said:
eh; besides Taz and Love, we haven't lost much of our total production last year. can't blame any program if there's no room on the depth chart and the kid wants to try to get PT somewhere else. The year before, we pretty much only lost Hightower and Hart, and neither were top 2 at their position for us.
BB has been pretty good at retaining his productive players, which would support your argument.
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That's true and perfectly logical.

But you miss out on contributions like what we got out of Kendall Smith, for example. That's the kind of edge this theory of roster building is counting on.

I'm not going to freak out over the departure of a couple kids at the bottom of the depth chart, college football has been like that since time immemorial.

I just want to keep an eye on how our player retention compares to the rest of the conference/country.
 
#69      
Chukwuwumba
Ander1345 said:
There's probably more knowledgeable people on this board but just my 2 cents

QB: Marginally better - Altmyer healthy, hlbut no QB other than Altmyer has an in game rep.

HB: Decently Better(???) - None of our backs have been consistently healthy, Anderson missed the entire season. Improved OL play(which we will get I'm pretty sure) will help.

WR: Step back - We lose Williams and Washington and not sure where the production comes from. Love Bryant's game but one of Elzy, Wilcher, or Hollins stepping up their game could completely change the season. EDIT: Beatty has a real opportunity as well(sorry!).

TE: Moderate improvement - Rusk seems like the real deal, Griffin Moore flashed.

OL: Significant Improvement - JC Davis the prize of the portal for us I think, added a lot of solid bodies and have some good talent for depth and the future. Schuster being healthy should help.

DT: Huge shoes to fill - Not sure who steps up here to be honest, but if we can stay healthy I expect a lot of rotation.

DE/OLB: Jacas sounds hungry after a dip in 2023, Holmes healthy, Coleman back, could be a strength but relies a lot on our DT rotation.

LB: always a solid position group under Beielema, need to get healthy here from what I've gathered from Bret's pressers.

DB: Lumping this together because feeling long winded but also because Henry has a lot on his shoulders now with no true DB coach on staff until after the spring. Will it affect the season? Will he rise to the challenge? Honestly.... I think so. My bold prediction is that Tobe, Xavier Scott, and Miles Scott take massive strides. Matt Bailey back, we CAN do it.
Click to expand...
Generally speaking, each area has to be competent in order to have a successful.
Oline was not first half of season. dB was not all season.
 
#70      
BZuppke
ChiefGritty said:
In the 18-team divisionless Big Ten our recruiting is a stain on the side of the highway.

The B1G West and a bunch of superstars who were inherited from Lovie (and expertly developed by BB and staff, don't get me wrong) has been masking the hopelessness of the situation.

I don't mean to say this to be negative on BB. It's 80% the broader context, 20% any concern about what he's doing. But the reality is that our talent deficit to our opposition is as bad as it has ever been.

Part of the promise of BB is that roster cohesion and player development can make up that gap. I'm skeptical but we shall see.

I'm being a parody of myself being all doom and gloom, I get it, and I don't want to belabor this point. My conviction here is mainly just feeling like people don't understand how much harder our schedule just got.
Click to expand...
and how does our situation compare to everyone else outside the USCs and tOSU’s of this world?
 
#72      
ChiefGritty
BZuppke said:
and how does our situation compare to everyone else outside the USCs and tOSU’s of this world?
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Yeah, lots of programs are in the same boat.

Mr. Tibbs said:
Im not worried about beating the top 2-3 in our league, as that will be rare indeed.
I just want to be able to be as good or better than the other 14 teams
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Poking our heads above Purdue and Minnesota and Northwestern and Iowa doesn't do anything anymore.
 
#73      
Mr. Tibbs
ChiefGritty said:
Yeah, lots of programs are in the same boat.


Poking our heads above Purdue and Minnesota and Northwestern and Iowa doesn't do anything anymore.
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we arent going to be in the top 4 -5 very often
but
if we can go 8-4 consistently , we will sell out the house and make for a fun experience on Saturday

isnt that, or 9-3, what we really ever hoped for ? being real here
 
#74      
redwingillini11
Mr. Tibbs said:
we arent going to be in the top 4 -5 very often
but
if we can go 8-4 consistently , we will sell out the house and make for a fun experience on Saturday

isnt that, or 9-3, what we really ever hoped for ? being real here
Click to expand...
8-4 would be fantastic. But it will be really hard to do. We will need to start going 3-0 in nonconference moving forward.
 
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