The Illinois football program has had everything go pretty smooth to start the 2025 season.
Notching the third win in as many games, the Illini head to Bloomington this weekend to take on the No. 19-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. The big story of this game is that these two teams, traditionally basketball schools, will match up as ranked programs for the first time against each other since October 28, 1950. I think we all remember that game.
Illinois ended up winning that slugfest, 20-0, in Champaign. While that is a great storyline heading into the game on Saturday, there is also another, less fun storyline bubbling to the surface.
In the Western Michigan game last week, Illinois’ star cornerback Xavier Scott left with what appeared to be an ankle injury. The news this week from Bret Bielema hasn’t been optimistic about Scott’s situation.
“He (Scott) had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. He’s got another one, he’ll get a second opinion on where he is at with things,” Bielema said in a media session on Thursday, “I don’t know if he will be back for Saturday, or where it will be for the season.”
This would be a big blow to the Illinois secondary. Scott is coming off a 2024 campaign where he was All-Big Ten first team, and he was also an honorable mention All-American. He is also Illinois’ best cornerback, grading out at 72.1 and ranking No. 165 out of all cornerbacks in the country. On top of that, Scott led the Illini with two pass deflections this season.
Illinois football will have to test depth if Xavier Scott misses time
Despite Bielema not giving us a straight answer, I think it is pretty clear that Scott is going to miss at least the Indiana game. I would peg him as doubtful, and that might be putting it nicely.
Bielema did go into who might be the options to replace Scott if he were to miss some time. The first name was Tanner Heckel.
Heckel has played 50 snaps this season, which is not enough snaps to claim a national ranking, and he ranks as Illinois’ best cornerback according to Pro Football Focus. He does at least have the lone interception for the Illini this season, and it was a doozy against Duke.
Other options to help platoon the position are Tyler Strain and Tyson Rooks, both of whom have been around the program for a couple of years now. They aren’t new to the system, and they know what Aaron Henry wants defensively.
Losing Scott would be a big blow to the Illinois defense, especially heading into the meat of the 2025 season. Let’s see how the Illini respond in what is one of the worst-timed injuries I can remember.