Big Ten Media Days is the fresh start for every coach to provide hope to the fanbase.
That hope can dwindle pretty quickly when the season finally starts in about a month, but you can definitely win the offseason with some good quotes and quick talking.
Bret Bielema did just that on Tuesday, as the Illinois football head coach was the first to take the podium to talk about the program.
One of the first things he said, less than three minutes into his introduction, piqued my interest. Bielema was talking about the players he brought with him to the Big Ten Media Days, one of whom was Jaheim Clarke.
“Jaheim Clark came to us from Florida. He is going into his fourth year, and because of the new rule coming about, we will hopefully get a bonus year with him.”
Usually, a quote like this will roll off, and I won’t think much of it, but the fact that it is the first thing that pops into Bielema’s mind is intriguing.
The rule that Bielema is referring to is the age-based eligibility rule. The NCAA essentially simplified eligibility. They passed a rule back in June, and are staying strong with implementing it, that says you get five years of eligibility once you enroll full-time or the year after your 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
So, to dumb it down, you have five years to play your sport. There are no more redshirts, no more medical redshirts, no more skirting the rules to get 9th-year seniors who should be focused on a 401(k) more than playing college sports. You have five years to play.
What that also means is that players have five years instead of four, and this is what Bielema is hoping for Clarke. He already has some thoughts on the 2027 campaign and bringing Clarke back into the fold for his fifth year.
I love this thought by Bielema. The hope is for a fifth year, but I am not so sure that Clarke sticks around Champaign that long.
Illinois football could be looking for a new cornerback entering the 2027 season
While having Clarke back for a fifth year sounds great, it wouldn’t shock me if he departs Champaign after the 2026 season.
It wouldn’t be for the transfer portal, though. I think Clarke has a strong chance to be looked at by NFL teams and potentially get selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Clarke has been a really good cornerback the last couple of seasons. He finished with 34 tackles and five pass deflections in 2024. This past season, he had 30 tackles and seven pass deflections, while missing four games.
Those seven pass deflections ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten, which is pretty impressive considering he only played in nine games for the Illini. Just imagine what Clarke’s numbers will be with a full season under his belt in 2026.
There were a lot of tidbits to pick apart in the Bielema Big Ten Media Days press conference. This is one of the comments that really stuck out to me. Clarke being back for an additional year in 2027 would be huge for the program.
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