Two decades ago, Bret Bielema wasn't coaching the Illinois Fighting Illini. In fact, he was the head coach of another Big Ten team, the Wisconsin Badgers.
While he was there, he had the honor of coaching (or they had the honor of playing for him) legendary football brothers JJ and Derek Watt (their younger brother TJ wasn't in college yet). The method of recruiting within one family paid off for Bielema then, and he has continued to utilize it since taking over in Champaign.
After his time with the Badgers came to an end, he had a stint with the Arkansas Razorbacks and then spent some time in the NFL. Bielema finally took over the Illinois program (his home-state team) in 2021 and has had a pretty remarkable time ever since.
Bret Bielema loves to recruit within the 'FamILLy'
At Illinois, the athletic department and the rest of the university lean into the idea of family, a motto which they have coined as "FamILLy." Bielema, giving credit where credit is due, has taken advantage of that motto to the fullest of his abilities.
Currently, the Fighting Illini football roster has five sets of brothers on it, including defensive backs Xavier and Xanai Scott, running back and wide receiver Murphy and Hudson Clement, defensive backs Tywan and Torrie Cox, offensive linemen Nathan and Ayden Knapik, and O-Line and linebacker Josh and Kames Kreutz.
Not only has Bielema repeatedly brought in high-caliber recruiting classes, but he has made sure to lean into just how much family (or, famILLy) means to his program, and it has paid off.
“Every single team talks about family, but when it’s literal family, it’s different.” — @JJWatt
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 21, 2025
JJ and his brother Derek Watt played for coach Bret Bielema at Wisconsin.
Now at @IlliniFootball, Bielema has five sets of brothers on the 2025 roster. pic.twitter.com/qqhuOY6zSQ
So far this season, the Fighting Illini have gone 6-3 overall with a big-time win over the then-No. 21 USC Trojans. Right now, the team is ranked ninth in the Big Ten standings and is already bowl eligible with just three games (that should be cupcakes) remaining.
This weekend, Bielema, the five sets of brothers, and the rest of the Illinois football team are set to face the Maryland Terrapins. The conference matchup is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be aired on FS1.