Illinois football has had plenty of big-time defensive backs come through the program.
The most recent elite defensive back was Devon Witherspoon, who ended up being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bret Bielema has some great talent on the Illinois roster for the 2026 season, but there is none better than Xavier Scott.
Scott would have been a first-three-round NFL Draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft if it weren’t for injuries. On Thursday, Scott took to the mic to update his injury status with less than a month to go before the 2026 campaign kicks off.
“I am back, 100%, just ready to play ball.”
This is great news for the Illinois secondary, as they are getting back a monster at cornerback. Scott did have a chance to start the first three games of 2025, but he went down with an injury. In those first three games, Illinois was 3-0 and only gave up a total of 22 points. Scott had six tackles and two pass deflections.
Thankfully, this isn’t a recent 100% diagnosis. Scott has been a full go for a while.
“I was full go throughout the offseason, through the summer workouts. I was doing everything everybody else was doing.”
Illinois is going to need Scott this season in a big way. Right now, I have him starting at the nickel cornerback position, which gives him the flexibility to move around the field. The great thing about Scott is that he can play whatever cornerback role Illinois needs.
The Big Ten needs to watch out if Xavier Scott is the player he was prior to the injury
I feel like no one is talking about Scott and his potential in 2026. He was Illinois’ only preseason All-Big Ten player, and Scott was only on the third team.
When you don’t play for the majority of the year prior, people forget how good a player can be on the field. Scott was one of the best cornerbacks in the country.
In 2024, Scott was an All-Big Ten first-team cornerback by the AP and media. He was a top-five cornerback in the country by Pro Football Focus, too. He also notched an honorable mention spot on Phil Steele’s All-American team.
Scott was supposed to have a huge 2025 campaign. He entered last season as a unanimous preseason All-Big Ten first-team player, and he was a preseason All-American.
The fact that Scott has been 100% healthy for months now, and he has been doing the normal work of a player, should scare a lot of opponents. Scott is poised for a big year.
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