Illinois Fighting Illini Football

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 315

HAND: 9"

ARM: 33⅞"

WINGSPAN: 81⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.22

3-CONE: 7.77

SHUTTLE: 4.73

VERTICAL: 24.5"

BROAD: 8'6"

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POSITIVES

— Wide-bodied, thick-limbed frame with good length and play strength.

— Sets a firm anchor to absorb force, engulf and grind down the bull rush and penetrators on stunts.

— Fluid mover with solid quickness out of his stance to get to landmarks and fits on overtakes and cut-offs.

— Gets his second step in the ground quickly on double-teams and combo blocks to play on the plus side of the line of scrimmage.

— Effective on climbs and as a puller due to his solid burst, and has the body control to arrive to his spot under control, using his big body to wall off pursuit angles.

— Physical demeanor, straining hard to finish blocks through the whistle, down the field and away from the ball.

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NEGATIVES

— Upright playing style gets him stacked, pressed and out-leveraged against stout, head-up/tightly aligned defensive tackles.

— Tends to get slipped and edged late in the rep due to either being high and/or narrow with his feet on drive/base blocks.

— Feet tend to die when having to redirect against effective counter moves, causing him to step under himself and create a short corner.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 starts; 10 at right tackle and two at left guard

— Team captain

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NOTES

— Born July 21, 2000

— 3-star JUCO recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports

— Born and raised in Canada, playing for Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario for two years before transferring to Garden City Community College in Kansas for the 2021 season

— 25 career starts at Illinois split between left tackle (one), left guard (14) and right tackle (10)

— Accepted invite to the Senior Bowl

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OVERALL

Isaiah Adams is a two-year starter inside Illinois' balanced (51-49 pass-run split), RPO/play-action heavy, zone-based run scheme with counter, power and duo runs sprinkled in. He has a tall, long, thick-limbed build with solid athletic ability and good play strength.

Adams had to play right tackle for the majority of the 2023 season, struggling early (Ex: vs. Penn State) before becoming more functional as the year went on. But he was clearly more comfortable inside.

Adams is an above-average run-blocker with solid quickness, burst and body control to get to his landmarks and into his fits on time. He strains hard to stay attached to blocks and uses his big body to wall off pursuit angles on climbs and pulls. His upright playing style leads to easy access into his frame that will leave him out-leveraged late in the rep (when the runner alters his path) against stout, slippery defensive linemen, but he fights hard to stay attached and often can get a piece of the defender rather than losing clean.

In pass protection, Adams is fluid and quick out of his stance to get rushers squared up. He excels on tighter shades and on play action when he can capitalize on his big frame, length and strength.

Adams sorts out line games and stunts quickly, anchoring on command against penetrators and the bull rush. His feet tend to get stuck when he has to redirect against effective counter moves, causing him to step under himself and create a short corner.

Overall, Adams has the size, quickness, play strength and enough finishing skills to be a high-end backup right away. He has solid-starter potential in a zone-based run scheme with the ability to get his team out of a game at tackle.

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GRADE: 7.2 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 67

POSITION RANK: IOL11

PRO COMPARISON: Aaron Banks

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 304

HAND: 9½"

ARM: 32⅜"

WINGSPAN: 75⅞"

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40-YARD DASH:

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL:

BROAD:

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POSITIVES

— Active and quick hands as a pass-rusher; works the offensive lineman's hands well to win off the edge. Solid bend for defensive tackle, too.

— Impressive push-pull move to beat guards as a rusher.

— Good pass-rush motor to get coverage sacks.

— Strong and physical at the point of attack and has the upper-body strength to gain control of the block.

— Has natural leverage and is hard to move one-on-one in the running game with his strength.

— Violent when getting off blocks and has shown the agility to cross the offensive lineman's face and make tackles in the gap adjacent to his.

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NEGATIVES

— Undersized for an NFL defensive tackle and might have shorter arms.

— Size can cause him issues versus double-teams.

— Get-off is a little slow, and doesn't accelerate off the ball consistently. Hurts the effectiveness of his bull rush.

— Narrows his base when rushing the passer, so guards with good upper-body strength will be able to ride him past the quarterback.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 52 TOT, 8.5 TFL, 7.5 SK, 2 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF

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NOTES

— Born Aug. 31, 2002

— 3-star recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

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OVERALL

Jer'Zhan Newton is just a disruptive player overall. He's strong and stout at the point of attack against the run to stun offensive linemen and stay in his gap. He also has little to no issues getting off blocks and can make plays outside of his gap with his impressive blend of strength and athleticism.

As a pass-rusher, Newton has very active hands to "beat the hands, beat the man" and add to his pass-rush repertoire. He has a handful of moves he can win with around the edges and has impressive bend for a defensive tackle. He's also flashed some athleticism/agility to be an effective looper in line games and continues to grow as a rusher.

The Illinois product does lack ideal size for an NFL defensive tackle, and it bears watching how he measures in at the combine, as he appears to have shorter arms. His smaller stature does limit his bull rush and ability to hold ground against double-teams, as well as limiting how much extension he can get.

Ultimately, Newton brings a lot to the table as a pass-rusher and run defender to be worthy of a first-round pick. He'd be best as a 3-technique in even fronts but could play as a defensive end (4i- to 5-technique) in odd fronts.

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GRADE: 8.0 (Year 1 Starter — Late 1st/Early 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 20

POSITION RANK: DL2

PRO COMPARISON: Sheldon Richardson

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 5'9½"

WEIGHT: 209

HAND: 10"

ARM: 31"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.43

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 40"

BROAD: 10'7"

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POSITIVES

— Great burst and acceleration through the second level.

— Great top-end speed to threaten explosive plays.

— Navigates tight spaces between the line of scrimmage well. Precise, controlled runner.

— Above-average contact balance and ability to fight in traffic.

— Smart, willing pass protector who has capable pass-catching skills. Functional third-down back.

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NEGATIVES

— Below-average lateral ability and flexibility. Can get stiff in the hips at times.

— Can be too patient as a runner and let plays stall out.

— Strength and technique are lacking in pass protection. Knows where to be but can have issues holding ground.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 328 ATT, 1,643 YDS (5.0 AVG), 10 TD; 27 REC, 240 YDS, 3 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: March 21, 2000

— 3-star commit to Western Michigan in 2018 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings; transferred to Illinois in 2019

— Two-year starter

— 2021 third-team All-Big Ten, 2022 second-team All-Big Ten, 2022 second-team All-American (AP)

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OVERALL

Chase Brown is one of the most dangerous athletes at the position in this class and has the veteran-like skills to be effective sooner rather than later.

He exploded at the NFL combine, and it's not hard to see that athleticism on film. When he is allowed to get to the perimeter or gets a lane through the second level, his burst is serious.

He kicks into a different gear instantly and rips past defenders with relative ease. Brown's high-end speed is great as well. He's got more than enough juice to be a threat for chunk plays every time he touches the ball.

On top of that, the Illinois product is a fairly capable runner between the tackles. He plays with precise, nimble feet while still managing to explode forward through openings when the moment arises. He also handles contact well and flashes the ability to fight through bodies.

He's not a true pile-mover, but at 209 pounds, Brown does well to hold his own and not just fall down on first contact all the time.

He is a capable third-down back too. He has nice hands out of the backfield and has the speed and burst combination to be a weapon in the underneath area. Additionally, Brown is a smart, experienced pass protector, which makes sense for a fifth-year senior. He shows good eyes, positioning and willingness to block. His strength and technique still need work, but having the eyes and willingness to do it are a great start.

He struggles when it comes to finesse, both athletically and in terms of play style. Athletically, Brown's lateral movement and overall flexibility can be lacking. He isn't as stiff as a board, but he's not particularly smooth or shifty either.

In terms of play style, Brown almost has too much finesse. He takes his time waiting for holes to open and rides every read out to its absolute limit, which can result in times when he lets a play die before committing to anything and at least picking up a couple of yards. He will need to be more decisive in the NFL.

Brown can be an effective rotational and third-down back early. His combination of speed, adequate strength, receiving skills and pass-blocking chops will give him plenty of reason to see the field.

That being said, Brown's middling lateral ability is a concern, and his decisiveness needs to be ironed out as he grows into the pro game. Brown would fit best in an offense similar to Cincinnati's that can give him access to a variety of run concepts out of spread formations as well as plenty of passing downs.

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GRADE: 6.5 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 141

POSITION RANK: RB12

PRO COMPARISON: Jerick McKinnon

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 5'10"

WEIGHT: 211

HAND: 10 1/4"

ARM: 31 1/2"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.47

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 40.5"

BROAD: 10'10"

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POSITIVES

— Physical player with good length and size. Plays with very good functional strength.

— Performs best when playing close to the line of scrimmage.

— Versatile player who can play in both man and zone coverage, although he thrives in zone coverage where he has the vision to see routes.

— Skills to locate balls in the air. Soft hands to react and make a play on the ball.

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NEGATIVES

— Tightly wound in the hips. Struggles with change of direction, causing wide turns out of breaks.

— Poor eye discipline. Can have tunnel vision at times, causing him to get sucked up to play actions.

— Can struggle covering bigger receivers. He doesn't play "above the rim."

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NOTES

— 2022 USA Today All-American 2nd Team

— 2022 All-Big Ten 1st Team (Coaches)

— 2021 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention

— Twin brother, Chase, started as Illinois' running back

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OVERALL

Sydney Brown has been a staple in the Illini defense for a few years now. He's a versatile player who has shown the ability to play at multiple levels and within multiple schemes. With average size, he shows his strength when playing the run game. Brown makes quick reads before coming downhill and inserting himself into open gaps. He shows to have a high football IQ and an understanding of what the offense is looking to do to him. He demonstrates the ability to play from depth, as well as working from the box. A solid blitzer, he has the ability to blitz off the edge with speed and can hold up when blitzing from the interior.

Brown is a strong tackler who runs his feet on contact, delivering huge blows. When taking on blocks, he has shown the short-area quickness to beat blockers with speed, as well as the hand strength to control and shed blocks.

Although the best part of his game is when playing the run, Brown has occasionally flashed in the pass game. He has the ability to play man coverage but struggles to stay with receivers downfield, as he has shown hip tightness when asked to flip and run. He also struggles to make sharp breaks and turns. In zone coverage, he is able to keep his eyes on the quarterback while playing the ball and routes that come through his zone. He shows very good reaction and anticipation to the ball in the air. When downfield, he can make a play on the ball in the air, no matter if he is playing the man or the ball. He plays with very good patience and timing when playing the ball in the air.

Ultimately, Brown is a draftable player who will provide depth as a backup. He lacks the movement skills as a coverage defender in both man and zone coverage. His best role would be that of a safety who is consistently rolled up to the line of scrimmage and will have help deep over the top.

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GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 121

POSITION RANK: S8

PRO COMPARISON: Nick Scott

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

HEIGHT: 5'11.5"

WEIGHT: 181

HAND: 8 7/8"

ARM: 31 1/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: TBD

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: TBD

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POSITIVES

— Twitchy athlete with good physical tools. Shows a good short-area burst along with good jumping ability.

— Good breaking ability. Sinks hips and gets out of breaks with limited false or extra steps.

— Very good patience in back-pedaling and press coverage. Stays square in man coverage, showing vision, anticipation and route recognition.

— Outstanding ball skills and timing when playing the ball. Does a good job of getting his head around to locate the ball. Also shows the patience and ability to play through the receiver with his back to the ball.

— Quick run reads and triggers quickly downhill. Beats blockers with quickness and shows to be a physical tackler. Has shown to deliver bone-crushing hits.

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NEGATIVES

— Has good length but is slightly undersized with his weight.

— Struggles to keep his leverage from off coverage. Allows receivers to beat him inside, as well as showing hip tightness. Trouble swiveling hips to run or cover double moves.

—Slightly above-average speed. Often allows separation in routes and can be slow to recover if caught out of position.

— Too handsy at the top of routes and will need to adjust to NFL rules.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 32 TOT, 2.5 TFL, 17 PBU, 3 INT

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NOTES

— 32 Games Started

— 2022 Thorpe Award Finalist (First in history of University of Illinois)

— 2022 Consensus All-American First Team (First defensive back in history of University of Illinois)

— Senior Bowl Invite

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OVERALL

Devon Witherspoon is an active cornerback who has shown to make plays all over the field. He is a fluid cover defender who is able to play from multiple schemes and alignments. A first-team All-American, Witherspoon plays his best game when in coverage. He can play the man from press or off coverage. He shows to have a controlled pedal, which allows him to quickly get his feet in the ground and react to what he sees.

A smart defender, Witherspoon shows great vision and route recognition. There aren't many times when he looks to be confused on the field. Devon performs best when he is able to sit in zone coverage and react to the quarterback, allowing him to use his anticipation to jump routes and be in position for huge hits. When covering receivers downfield, he has shown the ability to sink his hips getting in and out of breaks, but he lacks the top-end speed to run with the faster receivers in the league. Also, when playing the pass game, he has the ball skills necessary to get his head around and locate the ball, as well as having the confidence to play the ball with his back to it.

Witherspoon has demonstrated the physicality needed to support the run. He reacts quickly to run reads, quickly defeating blocks and meeting ball carriers in the backfield. He shows to be a solid tackler who will take advantage of big hits when they are presented. Witherspoon is a secure tackler who rarely has missed tackles. He is an interesting player who flashes a lot of positive skills. He will need to work on his hand placement while in coverage but shows to consistently be in good positioning. Witherspoon is a high-level development prospect who instantly adds depth to the room he is selected to. It will take a couple seasons for him to adjust before seeing if he is able to take the next step.

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GRADE: 8.5 (Immediate Impact Prospect/Round 1)

OVERALL RANK: 8

POSITION RANK: CB1

PRO COMPARISON: Jaire Alexander

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Purdue named Ryan Walters as its next football head coach on Tuesday.

The next chapter of 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 is here. @Coach_Walters, 𝐁𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐔𝐏!

🔗: https://t.co/jTyKsMDFxB pic.twitter.com/h7kxw6mehV

— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) December 13, 2022

The announcement fills the vacancy created when former head coach Jeff Brohm left for his alma mater Louisville.

Walters, 36, becomes the fourth-youngest head coach in FBS after spending the past two years as the defensive coordinator at Illinois.

"Purdue is a world-class university, and our football program will pursue the same excellence exhibited across our campus," Walters said in a statement. "My wife Tara and I, along with our boys, are beyond excited to join the Purdue and West Lafayette communities. Boiler Up!"

Illinois currently has the No. 1 scoring defense in college football this season, allowing just 12.3 points per game en route to an 8-4 record. Only three of 12 opponents topped 20 points against the Illini this year, while even No. 2 Michigan was held in check before pulling out a 19-17 win.

It's been part of a massive transformation for Illinois, which went 2-6 during the shortened 2020 season with a defense that was tied for 97th in college football in points allowed (34.9 per game).

Walters turned things around after arriving in 2021, leading the 29th-ranked scoring defense (21.9 ppg), before putting together an elite unit in 2022.

The former Colorado safety transitioned to coaching after graduating in December 2008, becoming a student assistant for the Buffaloes. After stops at Arizona, Oklahoma, North Texas and Memphis, Walters spent six seasons at Missouri and worked his way up to defensive coordinator.

The coach will look to continue his success at Purdue, which went 17-9 the past two years under Brohm. The squad earned a trip to the Big Ten title game this year and will head to the Citrus Bowl against LSU with an 8-5 record.

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema confirmed he tested positive for COVID-19, which will force him to miss Saturday's game against No. 20 Iowa.

Bielema said in a statement he began experiencing mild symptoms Monday. He said he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a booster shot last week.

Illini coach Bret Bielema has tested positive for COVID-19. George McDonald will coach in his place. pic.twitter.com/RwTTkQvAUL

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 16, 2021

George McDonald, the Fighting Illini's assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, will temporarily serve as head coach.

Bielema said he'll be "as present as possible" through unspecified technological means, so he may continue to have contact with his staff and players in some form this week.

With a 14-6 upset over then-No. 20 Minnesota, Illinois improved to 4-6 and kept the door open for winning the six games necessary to qualify for a postseason bowl.

Taking down the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium was difficult enough with Bielema on the sidelines. Iowa won this matchup 35-21 in Champaign, Illinois, last year.

The Hawkeyes dropped back-to-back games after climbing to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. They rebounded with wins over Northwestern and Minnesota. Alex Padilla threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns while replacing an injured Spencer Petras.

For the Illini, establishing the run will be critical toward crafting a winning formula. They're averaging 262 rushing yards in their four victories, compared to 120 yards on the ground in their six losses.

The Illinois Fighting Illini upset the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions 20-18 in nine overtimes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Saturday's game marked the first 9OT contest in the history of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

After stopping a PSU two-point conversion attempt, Illinois put the game away when quarterback Brandon Peters hit Casey Washington on a walk-off two-point conversion:

ILLINOIS UPSETS NO. 7 PENN STATE IN THE NINTH OVERTIME‼️

That’s the most overtimes in FBS history 😳 pic.twitter.com/uKlOg9Sd6j

— ESPN (@espn) October 23, 2021

Penn State fell to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play this season with the loss, and it figures to experience a significant drop in the rankings. Meanwhile, Illinois improved to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

CBS Sports HQ broke down the game's quarter-by-quarter scoring across regulation and all nine overtime periods:

Illinois upsets Penn State in the FIRST 9OT game in FBS history! pic.twitter.com/7d6i9DV9AH

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) October 23, 2021

College football adopted new overtime rules this season, requiring teams to switch off attempting two-point conversions following the second overtime.

Illinois and Penn State traded field goals in each of the first two OT periods, failed on five consecutive two-point conversion attempts each and made a two-point conversion attempt each in the eighth OT.

After Illinois stopped Penn State in the ninth overtime, Peters finally managed to end the game.

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk and Jemele Hill of The Atlantic were two of the many who cracked jokes about the wild game:

This Penn State-Illinois game is going to make the NCAA try some new overtime rules next year:
First OT: Red light green light.
Second OT: Cut a shape out of a cookie.
Third OT: Tug of war.
Fourth OT: Marbles.
Fifth OT: Run across panes of glass.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 23, 2021

The opposite of “refuse to lose” is happening in this Penn State-Illinois game. These two teams refuse to win. My goodness.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 23, 2021

Though the overtime was somewhat gimmicky, regulation was a defensive struggle with a focus on old-school football, especially on the part of Illinois.

The Illini overcame a 10-0 deficit thanks largely to their running game, which produced a remarkable 357 yards on the ground.

Running back Chase Brown led the way with 223 yards and one touchdown, and he joined an elite group in the history of Illinois football as well:

Chase Brown has recorded his 2nd 200-yard rushing game of the season.

He joins Howard Griffith (1990) and Rashard Mendenhall (2007) as the only players in @IlliniFootball history with multiple 200-yard rushing games in a single season. pic.twitter.com/LsT8pA0kFt

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 23, 2021

After struggling in a loss to Iowa two weeks ago, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had another unspectacular game Saturday, going 19-of-34 passing for 165 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, plus several failed two-point plays.

The win marked Illinois' sixth in 26 tries against Penn State all-time, and it ended a three-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions.

It won't get any easier for Penn State, as the Nittany Lions will face the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes on the road next Saturday, while Illinois will take on Rutgers at home.