In the Bret Bielema era of Illinois football, the program has brought in some pretty big recruits.
You can look at both the transfer portal and in the high school ranks to find players who have helped the Illini win a ton of games during the Bielema regime.
One of those four-star athletes whom Bielema brought in was Kaden Feagin. His career has gotten off to a rocky start due to injuries, but there is a big career move coming.
“Kaden (Feagin) came to me, probably the first week of December, I got a text from Feagin, and he said, hey coach, you got a minute? I’m like, oh boy, this is going to start, and I hadn’t had all my meetings yet,” Bielema said in his Thursday press conference.
When you hear that quote from Bielema, you automatically think Feagin is entering the transfer portal. In fact, I assumed he would given the depth Illinois has at running back, and the tough start he has had in Champaign.
That is not where the conversation turned, though.
“He literally came in, and he sat down and said, I want to move to tight end. And I am like, alright,” Bielema said.
And there you have it. Feagin is entering his senior year at Illinois, and he is moving from running back to tight end, a massive career change that will likely benefit both parties.
In his three seasons in Champaign, Feagin’s injuries have hampered his progression. He has a total of 1,251 yards and 12 touchdowns. What piques my interest is that this past campaign, he started to become more of a receiving running back, doubling his career receptions and receiving yards with 16 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Kaden Feagin changing to tight end will help the Illinois football team greatly
I believe Feagin’s move to tight end will be big for him and his career. He will get lost in the Illini backfield, but with him going to tight end, he has a chance to really stand out. Feagin can also use his tremendous size, as he is 6-foot-3, 255 pounds.
This move should also benefit Illinois as a program. It is Ca’Lil Valentine’s backfield entering 2026. He is going to be a junior and showed a ton of progress last season. Illinois also has Aidan Laughery, John Forster, and Cedric Wyche II waiting in the wings.
The decision by Feagin also bolsters the tight end position, which was needed. Illinois hasn’t had a ton of quality tight end play during my lifetime, but look for Feagin to compete and snag a starting job from day one.
Cole Rusk and Tanner Arkin are both gone. Jordan Anderson is flipping back to running back. That leaves so many snaps to be had, and Feagin should be able to feast. Illinois improved with this career move by Feagin.