The first game of the 2026 season for the Illinois football program is less than a week away.
I can’t believe the season is already here. It feels like just yesterday the basketball program was in the Final Four. Now, the football season is commencing.
Illinois is going to look slightly different this season. A new signal caller is under center. Illinois’ offensive line is revamped, as is the defensive line. With that being said, I couldn’t have asked for a better week one opponent.
Here is the Illinois football vs UAB Blazers how to watch, series history, and players to watch
Illinois football vs UAB Blazers – How to watch
The 2026 season kicks off with the UAB Blazers, as Illinois looks to get off on the right foot. You can start this season by watching the Illini take on the Blazers on the Big Ten Network.
This is a weekday game, as the start date is Thursday, September 3 at 8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET.
Illinois football vs UAB Blazers – Series history
Illinois has played a lot of teams in the history of the program, which includes DePauw, Wabash, Christian Brothers, Coe, and Haskell Indian Nations, to name a few of the funnier ones.
Shockingly, Illinois has never played UAB. This will be the first match between the two programs.
Illinois football vs UAB Blazers – Players to watch
This could be a tough game for UAB. They are coming in with one of the worst scoring defenses in college football last season, giving up 37.9 points per game, which ranked No. 133 out of 136 teams.
What that means is that the Blazers will likely have to lean on Ryder Burton at quarterback early and often. Illinois will put up a lot of points, so Burton is going to have to throw the ball to even have a chance to come close to the Orange and Blue. He should be the main focus for the Illini defense.
A player on UAB’s defense who could give Illinois problems is Chris Burge. He is back for another year, and he led their defense with 3.5 sacks in 2025. With so many new pieces on the Illinois offensive line, Burge could make a few plays in the backfield.
On the Illinois side, I think this could be a big day for our running backs. Ca’Lil Valentine could easily go over 100 yards. Barry Lunney will likely use three or four running backs throughout the game. It is a good opportunity to get every running back up to speed.
Illinois finally gets Xavier Scott back on defense. After missing nearly all of 2025, Scott will have a chance to have a big game against UAB. They will be throwing the ball a ton, so knocking off the rust and maybe getting an interception under his belt in game one would be great for the Illinois defense.
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