Illinois football isn’t getting much shine right now despite spring practice going on.
Usually, this time of year, Illini fans are clamoring to see what the football program looks like. Right now, it is all about the basketball team, though.
With that being said, while Bret Bielema is getting his first glimpses of what the program has on the field, he is also doing a great job with potentially landing some talent for 2027.
On Wednesday, Allen Trieu of Rivals reported that Illini target Owen Roberts has the Orange and Blue as his top school.
After today's offer from Illinois, in-state EDGE Owen Roberts says the Illini are "definitely my top school."https://t.co/o718UKrLq3 pic.twitter.com/rmTx1wByv6
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) April 1, 2026
Roberts is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound EDGE from York High School in Illinois. He isn’t rated or ranked by national recruiting sites just yet, but the interest for the talented defensive player is starting to mount.
Illinois is one of his latest scholarship offers, but Roberts has roughly 13 scholarship offers on the table right now. The Illini is the only power-four program to see his potential, but nearly every MAC program, as well as a few Ivy League teams, are eyeing the kid.
Gabe Jacas is the gold standard of what Illinois football can do for an EDGE
When they say Roberts is an EDGE, it usually means he would transition into an outside linebacker in the Illinois defense.
The Illini took someone like Gabe Jacas and made him into a versatile player. He was more of a down lineman, but finished at Illinois as a dynamic outside linebacker who can play on the line or out in coverage.
Roberts could fit that mold. At his size, he would definitely be an outside linebacker who can rush on the edges. That is what Illinois loves on the defense. We aren’t nearly as focused on the defensive line as we are on those hybrid players who can do both.