Heading into the 2025 season, the Illinois football team is poised for a big year.
If you didn’t know by the millions of times I have said it in articles, the Illini won 10 games in 2024. This was the best season since 2001. It was a year that Illinois fans can hang our hat on, and hopefully, the program keeps building.
Now that we are oh so close to the 2025 season, Illinois should be in for another great run. With 16 out of 22 starts back in the fold, Bret Bielema has the Orange and Blue looking like a national contender.
One of the elite players who came back for one more season was Gabe Jacas. He had a huge 2024 season, and I fully expect him to come up big for the Illini once again. ESPN sure thinks he is going to have a big year, too.
On Monday, ESPN released its preseason All-American team. To no surprise, Illinois didn’t have anyone on the offensive side of the ball. But when you looked at the defense, you see Gabe Jacas.
. @ESPN Preseason All-American. Proving it every snap. @gabeosama pic.twitter.com/UZQMqq5od1
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) August 12, 2025
Jacas earned first-team honors from ESPN at linebacker. He is Illinois’ premier outside linebacker and is someone who has a chance to be the best defensive player in college football. Last season, Jacas finished with a career high of 74 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Gabe Jacas has put Illinois football ahead of another SEC program
The streak Illinois has been on has been fun. At the end of the 2024 campaign, the Illini were matched up against South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. Illinois was able to take down the rising Gamecocks program, with a future Heisman Trophy hopeful going against us at quarterback.
Illinois is still taking out SEC programs. ESPN’s preseason All-American team has Jacas as the first-team linebacker, beating out Georgia’s CJ Allen for the top spot at the position.
That is a pretty big deal. Usually, the SEC gets all of the love, and someone like Allen could have easily been ahead of Jacas. Allen had 76 tackles, four pass deflections, and one interception in 2024. But ESPN sees Jacas as the better player.
The rise of the Illinois program has been sharp. The talent we have on the field for 2025 is impressive, and the national accolades continue to roll in. It is always nice to beat out an SEC program, too. That will never get old.