After 2022 saw Bret Bielema engineer the first winning football season at Illinois in over a decade, the Fighting Illini reversed field to finish 5-7 in 2023 thanks to losing four of their five one-score games.
Having both the offense (83rd) and defense (96th) finish outside the top 80 of FBS teams in scoring last season did not help the cause, and neither did a Big Ten-worst 62.4 penalty yards per game nor did a minus-8 turnover margin that ranked 123rd in the country.
Outside of defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton — the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year — most of the production from that side of the ball returns for 2024 and should be the strength of the team.
Here are Illinois’ top 10 returning players hoping to make an impression in the 2024 college football season.
Illinois Fighting Illini Top 10 Returning Players in 2024
10) Miles Scott, DB
After switching positions from wide receiver to safety, Miles Scott proved his athleticism by starting all 12 games for the Fighting Illini in 2023, recording at least five tackles in 10 of those games.
He looked every bit of the natural pass catcher he is with a pick-6 in his first career start on defense in the 2023 opener against Toledo. He also finished second on the team with 63 total tackles.
9) Xavier Scott, DB
A pure ball hawk in the defensive backfield, Xavier Scott led the Big Ten in pass breakups during the regular season with 11 in 2023.
Appearing in all 12 games, including 11 starts, Xavier Scott earned All-Big Ten honorable mention as a sophomore. Though he is under 6 feet tall and weighs fewer than 200 pounds, he is not shy when it comes to getting physical, as evidenced by his 57 total tackles last season.
8) Cole Rusk, TE
Illinois is the third stop in the last three seasons for Cole Rusk, who transferred in from Murray State after beginning his college career at Eastern Michigan.
Rusk will give quarterback Luke Altmyer a massive target (6’5″, 250 lbs) in the middle of the field, and one who made 39 catches for 507 yards last season en route to earning FCS All-American honors.
7) Kaden Feagin, RB
Kaden Feagin is on the Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List as a sophomore after being one of the few bright spots for the Fighting Illini offense last season. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors after he was a two-time Freshman of the Week recipient for the conference.
Feagin is a power running back who uses his great size (6’3″, 250 pounds) to push the ball forward, as evidenced by beginning his career with 74 consecutive carries without a single negative rush.
6) Terrance Brooks, DB
After playing in all 14 games and reaching the College Football Playoff with Texas last season, Terrance Brooks arrives at Illinois as a playmaker for their secondary.
Brooks had three interceptions last season for the Longhorns — all in conference games (against Texas Tech, TCU, and BYU) — while also contributing six passes defended and 20 tackles en route to earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.
5) Gabe Jacas, LB
Gave Jacas was a 2022 Freshman All-American, the first-ever true freshman to earn that honor for the Illini. His production might have slipped somewhat as a sophomore, with first-year coordinator Aaron Henry trying to feature him as both linebacker and defensive lineman at times.
Jacas is a constant threat to sack the quarterback with explosive speed on the edge combined with a 6’3″, 275-pound frame.
4) Seth Coleman, LB
An All-Big Ten honorable mention performer in each of the last two seasons, Seth Coleman led the Illini with a career-high nine tackles for loss last season. He was second on the team with six sacks, which trailed only Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Jer’Zhan Newton.
Coleman was the only Big Ten player last season to record three sacks in a single game (Oct. 14 vs Maryland).
3) Pat Bryant, WR
Pat Bryant led the Illini with seven touchdown catches last season, five of which came against Big Ten competition. He recorded at least one catch in all 12 games he played in 2023, and over 16% of his catches were touchdowns.
Bryant isn’t called upon much to return kicks, though he has proved he can be capable of doing so with a return average of 20.7 yards in his career (six attempts).
2) Dylan Rosiek, LB
Dylan Rosiek is likely on his way to becoming a fan favorite in Champaign, and it isn’t just because of the “look” factor he owns, complete with long, flowing hair and a Rafael Nadal-like headband.
Rosiek didn’t record a single tackle as a true freshman and posted just eight as a redshirt freshman the following season. Then he burst onto the scene with a team-leading 82 tackles in 2023, including 14.5 of which came at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Rosiek’s four forced fumbles led the Big Ten and earned him All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.
1) Luke Altmyer, QB
Luke Altmyer started nine of Illinois’ 12 games last season and became a decent dual-threat option at quarterback with 1,883 passing yards and 282 rushing yards.
As the Ole Miss transfer played better, so did the offensive playmakers around him. When his passing efficiency rating was over 135, the Illini were 4-1. When he was below that mark, the Illini were 0-4.
The Illini brought in another Ole Miss transfer in receiver Zakhari Franklin in hopes of creating a tandem with Pat Bryant to give Altmyer some downfield threats in the passing game.
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