The Illinois football team kicks off the 2026 season in less than three weeks.
I can’t believe we are closer to September than we are to July. Illinois is coming off a combined 19 wins in the last two seasons, and the fanbase wants more.
The 2026 campaign could provide more. This is a season of change, as Illinois lost quarterback Luke Altmyer to the NFL. Katin Houser steps in and should be a good replacement.
There are still many questions about the Illinois roster. Thankfully, the 2026 schedule looks very promising.
Here is the game-by-game prediction for the Illinois football 2026 season
Illinois football vs. UAB Blazers
- Thursday, September 3
- 8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET
There is no doubt there could be some growing pains with a new offensive unit in 2026. Illinois has a new quarterback and four new offensive linemen. Regardless of how much practice has happened, there will be issues at times.
Thankfully, the Illini get UAB in the first game. The Blazers finished 2025 4-8 overall.
UAB had a top-30 passing offense last season, but starter Jalen Kitna is out of the picture. His backup, Ryder Burton, looks to be the starter for 2026. Burton threw for 708 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions last season.
I think Illinois’ secondary, which is massively underrated, could feast on UAB’s offense. On top of that, the Blazers gave up a ton of points last season, which included surrendering 56 points to Tennessee, 53 points to North Texas, and 48 points to South Florida. I have Illinois letting UAB hang around in the first quarter but taking charge midway through the first half.
- Final Score: Illinois 42 – 13 UAB (WIN)
Illinois football vs Duke Blue Devils
- Saturday, September 12
- 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET
The second installment of this power-four matchup takes place in game two of the season. Illinois got the better of Duke, beating them down in 2025 by a score of 45-19.
Duke took a huge gut punch in the transfer portal when starting quarterback Darian Mensah left for Miami. He takes with him his 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
Manny Diaz’s replacement for Mensah seems to be the transfer portal get Walker Eget. He was decent last season with San Jose State, throwing for 3,051 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
The Hurricanes also snatched Duke’s top wide receiver, Cooper Barkate, who had 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. In fact, Duke lost its top three pass-catchers from last season, with Que’Sean Brown heading to Virginia Tech and Sahmir Hagans going to the NFL.
Nate Sheppard returns to the backfield for the Blue Devils, as he ran for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
Duke’s defense took a hit in the offseason, too. They lost three out of the top five players in tackles and four out of the top six players in interceptions. The biggest hit is easily Vincent Anthony Jr. on the defensive line. He was over double the next player on the roster in sacks, with 7.5 sacks in 2025. Anthony Jr. is now in the NFL.
Illinois beat the Blue Devils, with arguably one of the best Duke teams they have ever had, by 26 points last season. This is a much more wounded Duke team this time around. I think Illinois could feast.
- Final Score: Illinois 35 – 10 Duke (WIN)
Illinois football vs Southern Illinois Salukis
- Saturday, September 19
- 1:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. ET
This is a buy game for the Illini. Southern Illinois is in the FCS, so this shouldn’t be much of a competition.
Last season, the Salukis finished 7-5 overall. They played one FBS program, and they actually gave Purdue a bit of a jolt by scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter. That game ended up being 34-17 in favor of the Boilermakers.
DJ Williams is back under center for Southern Illinois. He threw for 2,846 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions last season. He is the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback, as he also ran for 847 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Southern Illinois also has a sneaky running back. Edward Robinson ran for 655 yards last season, but he did that while averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
The Salukis' receiving corps got decimated. I have never seen anything like it. Their top six players in receiving yards are all gone. The leading receiver returning is Robinson, with 112 yards in 2025.
On the defensive side of the ball, the front seven for Southern Illinois was destroyed. They lost three of the top five players in tackles. Only 3.5 of their 18 sacks from last season are returning. This includes losing all but one of their main defensive linemen.
Southern Illinois’ secondary does return a good portion of their talent. They only gave up 201 yards per game through the air last season, which ranked No. 36 in the FCS.
This is a Salukis team that got beaten by Purdue last season with a better roster. Illinois gets them this time around with so many parts missing from the 2025 squad. Williams does get loose a couple of times and makes big plays for Southern Illinois, but I think the Illini make quick work of this FCS program.
- Final Score: Illinois 45 – 17 Southern Illinois (WIN)
Illinois football at Ohio State Buckeyes
- Saturday, September 26
- TBD
It is a pretty intense start to the Big Ten season, as Illinois travels to Columbus for a game against Ohio State.
Ohio State is coming off a season where they lost just two games. Those two games were against the two teams that played in the national championship, and they only lost those games by a combined 13 points.
Last season, the Buckeyes beat Illinois 34-16. They jumped on us early, taking a 20-0 lead and going into halftime with a 20-3 lead. Illinois did get it back to 20-10, but Ohio State shifted gears and never made this game close.
The main characters return for Ohio State. Julian Sayin is behind center and brings his 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions back for another year. He is also a favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
Bo Jackson and his 1,090 yards and six touchdowns are back at running back. Ohio State also returns top wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025.
That is an insane amount of offensive firepower. I haven’t even mentioned five-star Chris Henry Jr. coming in to play wide receiver.
Ohio State did get hit hard on defense, though. All of the top five players in tackles are in the NFL. They lost three of the top five players in sacks and interceptions, too.
That isn’t a huge worry for the Buckeyes. They went out and had a great transfer portal class. Ohio State added two cornerbacks and two safeties to stabilize the secondary. They addressed the front seven with a couple of four-star additions as well.
Ohio State is going to be the best team in college football in 2026. I will be shocked if they don’t win the national championship. If Illinois can keep this game within 20 points, I will be happy.
- Final Score: Illinois 17 – 38 Ohio State (LOSS)
Illinois football vs Purdue Boilermakers
- Saturday, October 3
- TBD
Purdue has been on the struggle bus the last few years. They started 2025 2-0 but then squandered the final 10 games of the season to finish 2-10 overall and 0-9 in the Big Ten.
Illinois and Purdue played last season, with the Boilermakers taking a quick 7-0 lead. Illinois responded with 24 straight points. It was never a one-score game after that.
Simply put, Purdue is just not a very good team. Ryan Browne is back under center. He threw for 2,153 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2025. Starting running back Devin Mockobee is gone after 150 years with the program.
The Boilermakers lost their top three wide receivers from last season. Michael Jackson III graduated, EJ Horton Jr. is in the NFL, and Nitro Tuggle transferred.
There is no reason to mention any of the defense that is returning. Purdue was pretty bad defensively, giving up 33.2 points per game, which ranked No. 117 out of 136 teams.
Barry Odom did try to address some issues in the transfer portal. They took two Illinois players in defensive lineman Curt Neal and linebacker Jojo Hayden. Hayden is the only one that hurts, but both players weren’t anything to write home about.
I like what Purdue did in the transfer portal when it comes to their front seven, but overall, it looks like they just got a bunch of castoffs from FBS programs to help fill holes. This should still be a bad Boilermakers squad in 2026.
- Final Score: Illinois 31 – 17 Purdue (WIN)
Illinois football at Michigan State Spartans
- Saturday, October 10
- TBD
It is nice that Illinois has two of the lower teams in the Big Ten sandwiched between two of the top teams in the nation. Illinois’ next game will be in East Lansing against Michigan State.
The Spartans finished 2025 4-8 overall, and their lone Big Ten win was the final game of the season against Maryland.
Pat Fitzgerald is now the head coach of the Spartans. He spent 17 years at Northwestern and was fired after the 2022 season, going 4-20 in his final two years in Evanston.
Adian Chiles is now out of the picture, as he transferred to Northwestern. That means Alessio Milivojevic takes the reins as the full-time starter at quarterback. He threw for 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions last season.
Michigan State didn’t have much of a running attack, and their top two running backs departed the program. The Spartans had top wide receiver Nick Marsh transfer to Indiana. Wide receiver Omari Kelly is with the Chicago Bears, and leading tight end Jack Velling is with the Atlanta Falcons. That is the top three receivers from 2025, all gone.
The Spartans weren’t good defensively in 2025, either. They gave up 30.5 points per game, which ranked No. 97 in the country. Michigan State does return linebacker Jordan Hall, which helps stabilize the middle of the defense. Two out of the top three players in sacks are gone, and the secondary was already weak, giving up 230.4 yards per game through the air, which ranked No. 80 in the nation.
I am not in love with what Michigan State did in the transfer portal, either. Granted, Fitzgerald just got the job, so he had to take what he could get. They got a bunch of filler pieces that couldn’t make it at other FBS programs.
I think Michigan State has a chance to be bad again in 2026. While this game is going to be played in East Lansing, I believe Illinois will have too much firepower on both sides of the ball.
- Final Score: Illinois 38 – 7 Michigan State (WIN)
Illinois football vs Oregon Ducks
- Saturday, October 24
- TBD
After a couple of confidence-building wins, Illinois welcomes in the Oregon Ducks. They should be ranked in the top five heading into the matchup in Champaign.
This game is going to have an electric environment, as beating the Ducks would put Illinois in serious contention for a College Football Playoff spot.
The bad thing for the Illini is that Oregon is so stinking good. They were 13-2 last season and made it to the Final Four. Their only two losses were to Indiana, which won the national championship.
Dante Moore is one of the leaders in the odds for the Heisman Trophy. He is back with his 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions from 2025.
Oregon returns two of their top three running backs. Honestly, I am not sure it matters who they throw back there in the backfield. Don’t sleep on incoming freshman Tradarian Ball, either.
Three out of the top five players in receiving yards for the Ducks return to the roster in 2026. The top two pass-catchers are in the NFL, but they have players like Dakorien Moore waiting in the wings. Oregon also added should-be-five-star Jalen Lott from the class of 2026.
Oregon was also able to retain a ton of talent on defense. Three of their top five players in tackles are back. Linebacker Teitum Tuioti returns with his team-leading 9.5 sacks. In fact, the Ducks return their top three players in sacks.
The secondary is as strong as ever for Oregon entering 2026. Brandon Finney Jr. brings back his seven pass deflections and three interceptions, both of which led the Ducks.
With so much returning talent, Oregon didn’t need to go out and land a huge transfer portal class. I was still impressed with their class of 2026, though. They are bringing in two five-star recruits on the defensive side of the ball and one five-star offensive lineman. They also snagged a four-star defensive lineman, safety, and tight end from the transfer portal.
Oregon, again, is going to be stout. The fact that their only two blemishes last season were against Indiana is wild. The Ducks are going to come at Illinois with everything they have, and it is kind of scary. I think our secondary could get overwhelmed.
- Final Score: Illinois 24 – 41 Oregon (LOSS)
Illinois football at Maryland Terrapins
- Saturday, October 31
- TBD
Road games in the Big Ten are never easy. Illinois has to travel to play the Maryland Terrapins on Halloween, and something scary could happen.
With that being said, the Terrapins were pretty bad last season. They finished 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the Big Ten. Illinois got the better of Maryland, winning the game 24-6.
Malik Washington isn’t a bad quarterback. He is back after throwing for 2,963 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
The rest of the Maryland offense was pretty bad. There is nothing to mention about the running back room. The Terrapins’ top three pass-catchers all departed. Their leading returning pass-catcher is running back DeJuan Williams.
Maryland’s defense was pretty bad, too. They ranked sub-70 in run, pass, and scoring defense. The run defense was the worst, giving up 186.9 yards on the ground, which ranked No. 107 in the nation. Ca’Lil Valentine should have a big game.
The Terrapins clearly backed up the Brinks truck for five-star edge Zion Elee. He is going to have to put the entire defense on his back as a freshman. Maryland didn’t do much in the transfer portal either, ranking No. 64 in the class of 2026.
I just don’t see Maryland being significantly better than last season. They lost more than they gained. Washington is going to have to work miracles for this team to see a bowl game. Illinois should be able to run all over the Terrapins. We only allowed six points last season, and that was without Xavier Scott in the secondary.
- Final Score: Illinois 28 – 10 Maryland (WIN)
Illinois football vs Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Friday, November 6
- 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET
It amazes me that Nebraska isn’t a national powerhouse anymore. There is so much money that can be funneled into that program, yet they continuously flounder.
Nebraska was average in 2025. They finished 7-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. This record included finishing with three straight losses by more than 20 points.
Dylan Raiola bolted the program for Oregon. He takes his 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions with him. Emmett Johnson and his 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground are now with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nebraska did retain leading wide receiver Nyziah Hunter, as well as top tight end Luke Lindenmeyer.
Defensively, Nebraska might be okay. They did lose their two top tacklers in linebacker Javin Wright and safety DeShon Singleton. Wright led in sacks, and Singleton led in interceptions, too.
The Cornhuskers have a ton of talent coming back in the front seven, though. I think they could have a pretty good defensive line in 2026. That seems to be their strength.
Matt Rhule did go out and pay for a top cornerback. Danny Odem III is a five-star who should make an impact from day one. I wasn’t overly impressed with the transfer portal haul, though. Nebraska wasn’t a major player for anyone huge. They strengthened the offensive line a bit. I also like what they did at linebacker.
The crazy part to me is that the best Nebraska could do in the transfer portal was snag Anthony Colandrea from UNLV. He had a good year, throwing for 3,459 yards, 23 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His legs are what make him dangerous, as he had 649 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground for the Runnin’ Rebels, too.
Most of those numbers came against a bad Mountain West Conference. The final game for Colandrea at UNLV was a stinker in a bowl game against Ohio, where he threw for 184 yards and an interception. I don’t trust this Nebraska squad, and they might end up struggling to get to a bowl game in 2026.
- Final Score: Illinois 24 – 10 Nebraska (WIN)
Illinois football at UCLA Bruins
- Friday, November 13
- 8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET
I like Illinois’ schedule for 2026. There are two monsters, but the rest of the schedule is pretty winnable. Illinois goes on the road in November to a warmer UCLA.
The Bruins weren’t good last season. They started 0-4 and finished the season 3-9 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten. This includes the final three games, where the program lost by a combined score of 125-34.
Nico Iamaleava and all of his hype are back under center. He finished 2025 with 1,928 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through the air. He also led the Bruins with 505 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The rest of the UCLA running attack was garbage.
UCLA’s leading receiver Kwazi Gilmer is now with Nebraska, but he only had 535 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.
The Bruins had a bad defense in 2025. They gave up 33.4 points per game, which ranked No. 119 in the country. Their horrible defense lost its top four players in tackles. They didn’t have a single player record over 1.5 sacks for the season. UCLA had just four total interceptions, which is mind-blowing.
The incoming freshman class likely won’t help the cause at all in 2026. UCLA did get some solid transfer portal additions to help all three levels of the defense. They also added some nice weapons for Iamaleava to use out wide.
I think this team could be bad again, though. Their clear strength is going to be their offense and whatever Iamaleava does behind center. I am not sure he is talented enough to get this team to a bowl game, though. Illinois’ offense should be able to do whatever it wants. I think our defensive backs will be tested out wide, and I think Iamaleava could give our front seven some trouble with his feet.
- Final Score: Illinois 38 – 27 UCLA (WIN)
Illinois football vs Iowa Hawkeyes
- Saturday, November 21
- TBD
Iowa always seems to have a good team regardless of who comes and goes on the roster. Last season, they finished 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten.
This is a Hawkeyes team that took Indiana to the brink. Their four losses were all to ranked opponents, too.
Iowa still doesn’t have a starting quarterback to open the season, as of mid-August. It is between incumbent backup Hank Brown or third-stringer from last year, Jeremy Hecklinski. Both combined for 115 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in 2025.
Kamari Moulton is back as the starting running back. He led the team with 878 yards and five touchdowns last season. I think Iowa is going to miss Mark Gronowski’s 16 touchdowns he had on the ground as their quarterback.
Whoever the quarterback ends up being, they will have a nice, big tight end target in DJ Vonnahme back in the fold. He led the program with 434 yards last season.
Iowa was decimated on defense. They had four players who had at least four sacks last season. All four players are now in the NFL. The secondary should be strong, as most of the top guys return to the roster.
In classic Iowa fashion, they aren’t huge in the transfer portal. They plugged some holes, and that is about it. They did add some nice freshman pieces, specifically Darion Jones, who could help in the secondary.
I get fooled by this every season. It feels like Iowa shouldn’t be very good. They lost a lot of talent, but they always rebound and play well. This team makes things messy, but with the uncertain quarterback situation and the front seven missing so much talent, I think Illinois can sneak by them.
- Final Score: Illinois 17 – 13 Iowa (WIN)
Illinois football at Northwestern Wildcats
- Saturday, November 28
- TBD
The final game of the season is against in-state rival Northwestern. This was a good game last season, with the Illini clipping the Wildcats 20-13.
Northwestern did have a respectable season, getting to and winning a bowl game. I think 2026 could be a little different, though.
Preston Stone was solid for the Wildcats behind center, but he has departed the program. I think transfer portal addition Aidan Chiles is going to win the starting job. He had 1,392 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions with Michigan State last season.
Northwestern returns starting running back Caleb Komolafe. He had 941 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in 2025. They will lean on him a lot this season. Leading wide receiver Griffin Wilde and his 880 yards and eight touchdowns, is back in the fold, too.
There is some solid talent returning to the Northwestern defense. They get three of their top four leading tacklers back. The Wildcats are losing three of the top five players in sacks, including Mac Uihlein, who led the team in interceptions.
The offseason additions for Northwestern don’t blow me away. They won’t have any freshmen make a huge impact in year one. I do like that they have quarterback options, as they landed multiple players in the transfer portal.
Northwestern bolstered the front seven through the transfer portal with a couple of nice four-star transfers. They filled a lot of holes through the transfer portal as well.
With that being said, nothing about Northwestern stands out. Chiles is a nice transfer portal addition, but Illinois knows this quarterback. He is someone who hasn’t been able to get off the ground despite having a lot of hype. I think the Wildcats could give Illinois some trouble with their defense, though. That is the main hope for the team from up north.
- Final Score: Illinois 21 – 13 Northwestern (WIN)
Final Illinois football 2026 record: 10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten
Add us as a preferred source on Google