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DL depth just took a hit. Cam Brooks out with an achilles.

Posted by tvillini <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=tvillini' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2026, 18:45:33

https://x.com/mrwagner25/status/2038764086989562146?s=46

meh, we're a basketball school again

Posted by IlliniSax05 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=IlliniSax05' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 10:06:24, in reply to "DL depth just took a hit. Cam Brooks out with an achilles."

Why do you hate me, Sammich?

MAJOR UPDATE: "Maybe you're not such a bad egg, Lisle-y"
-Sammich, 1/15/2011

This has not been a fun offseason

Posted by illini21 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=illini21' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 9:12:37, in reply to "DL depth just took a hit. Cam Brooks out with an achilles."

Also, no surprise, but Lopati to ND appears imminent. As much as I hate ND I’m pretty happy it’s not Michigan.

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https://x.com/mrwagner25/status/2038764086989562146?s=46

It gives me an awful feeling that we've topped out, and the decline may be starting...

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 10:28:57, in reply to "This has not been a fun offseason"

...I didn't like the Montana DC hire, and don't find him particularly impressive. Losing the entire DL (the McCullom spin is absurd) is a monster problem.

There's still a lot of good going on, but the USCs and Washingtons aren't just going to settle for being mid-pack.

I have a ton of faith in BB, but it's taken a little bit of a hit this offseason. Of course, if we can score 35 PPG and win 7-8 games this year by outscoring teams, that would be really nice... and probably will be necessary.

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

What’s the critique of Hauck?

Posted by CanHartlebHireSnider <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=CanHartlebHireSnider' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:13:23, in reply to "It gives me an awful feeling that we've topped out, and the decline may be starting..."

It seems like Bret is giving him total control of the defense.

Bret seems to trust him

Hauck, perhaps undeservedly, will be the scapegoat

Posted by bjl63 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=bjl63' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:20:35, in reply to "What’s the critique of Hauck?"

He may know what he’s doing with this 3-3-5 thing but I worry it will be hard to keep teams from gashing us in the run game. Scheme and strategy may not overcome a glaring lack of talent up front

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It seems like Bret is giving him total control of the defense.

Bret seems to trust him

any scheme has so many variables who knows what we'll end up with, but...

Posted by ijustkrushalot <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=ijustkrushalot' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:58:03, in reply to "Hauck, perhaps undeservedly, will be the scapegoat"

watching the 3-3-5 at Iowa State the last couple years, it's effective, a bit gimmicky, and we'll give up yards... lots of them. I saw a lot of teams marching up and down the field and then you wind up winning 24-17 or something like that.

we may have a totally different approach that may or may not work out.

IDK... just don't get a great feel about him. Hope to be wrong, of course*

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:15:47, in reply to "What’s the critique of Hauck?"

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It seems like Bret is giving him total control of the defense.

Bret seems to trust him

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

he seems ok, but the degree to which we bought into just being Montana

Posted by ijustkrushalot <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=ijustkrushalot' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 12:00:41, in reply to "IDK... just don't get a great feel about him. Hope to be wrong, of course*"

is perhaps a bit much.

I watched highlights of one game and it was then getting ran over by Montana St in the national semifinals.

granted, montana st did that to most people.

The good news is that it would have to be a disaster to be a clear step back. Offense reloaded and may still be pretty damn good.

Other way.

Posted by EffinIllini <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=EffinIllini' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 12:03:42, in reply to "he seems ok, but the degree to which we bought into just being Montana State "

Hauck is from Montana and got run over by Montana State.

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is perhaps a bit much.

I watched highlights of one MSU game and it was then getting ran over by Montana in the national semifinals.

granted, montana did that to most people.

The good news is that it would have to be a disaster to be a clear step back. Offense reloaded and may still be pretty damn good.

chumped like a chump

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Hauck is from Montana and got run over by Montana State.

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I think we're taking a step back this year, and I don't think our ceiling is much higher than we've

Posted by ijustkrushalot <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=ijustkrushalot' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 10:54:28, in reply to "It gives me an awful feeling that we've topped out, and the decline may be starting..."

seen the last two years

I'm 100% ok and in fact very delighted with that

Ceiling is one thing... my concern is about our history of being black or white.

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:00:02, in reply to "I think we're taking a step back this year, and I don't think our ceiling is much higher than we've "

I would be happy with a nice charcoal... but that seems rare for us... and maintaining that is almost as hard as maintaining that higher ceiling... there's so much jockeying in the middle, and I feel like our staff took a big step backwards... and the whole DL thing just seems so anti-Bielema...

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

I agree with that and I'm not blown away by Hauck, Bert has enough of a leash that I'll wait and see

Posted by ijustkrushalot <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=ijustkrushalot' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:04:38, in reply to "Ceiling is one thing... my concern is about our history of being black or white."

I do think we're underplaying how our prep recruiting had a pretty darn good class, but that doesn't help us until 2027-2028 timeframe... so next year I just want 6

Things change year to year now... so down years just don't get the patience they once did...

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:17:17, in reply to "I agree with that and I'm not blown away by Hauck, Bert has enough of a leash that I'll wait and see"

...which leads me to be a little concerned how this class will end out shaking out if we struggle badly next year, and they start getting poached.

Granted, we have zero reason to believe BB will let this thing fall apart... the DL thing just gives me such awful mid-00s vibes that I can't shake it.

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

It could be Matha-Moss level bad*

Posted by bjl63 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=bjl63' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:21:51, in reply to "Things change year to year now... so down years just don't get the patience they once did..."

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We also have a favorable schedule next year. Hopefully the DL thing is just a one year blip.*

Posted by Warrin'_Illini $<iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=Warrin\'_Illini' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'>$ on March 31, 2026, 11:12:23, in reply to "I agree with that and I'm not blown away by Hauck, Bert has enough of a leash that I'll wait and see"

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I do think we're underplaying how our prep recruiting had a pretty darn good class, but that doesn't help us until 2027-2028 timeframe... so next year I just want 6

You cannot lose games in the NFL and still win.

We shall see but read somewhere we are unlikely to get any of the top 10 in the state this year

Posted by bjl63 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=bjl63' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:18:37, in reply to "We also have a favorable schedule next year. Hopefully the DL thing is just a one year blip.*"

but since I don’t follow all that closely I’m not sure how good the talent is in state.

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I do think we're underplaying how our prep recruiting had a pretty darn good class, but that doesn't help us until 2027-2028 timeframe... so next year I just want 6

We are barely even in the conversation for most. And, even the ones where we may get a visit

Posted by UofIL6 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=UofIL6' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:22:06, in reply to "We shall see but read somewhere we are unlikely to get any of the top 10 in the state this year "

It seems like a longshot. It's so odd. It's one of the deepest in-state classes in recent memory and it feels like late-stage Zook or Turner where we aren't even among the consideration set

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but since I don’t follow all that closely I’m not sure how good the talent is in state.

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I do think we're underplaying how our prep recruiting had a pretty darn good class, but that doesn't help us until 2027-2028 timeframe... so next year I just want 6

IDC if it's the worst class in 40 years... 0/10 would be an abysmal failure in recruiting...

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:20:10, in reply to "We shall see but read somewhere we are unlikely to get any of the top 10 in the state this year "

...that's Lovie shit.

Football still requires development...

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

I just don’t understand the strategy with the DL and LB

Posted by bjl63 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=bjl63' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 10:39:47, in reply to "It gives me an awful feeling that we've topped out, and the decline may be starting..."

Only got guys from small schools who were mostly rotation guys there

We supposedly have money so why did they not address
Their biggest needs? I do think the O will be fine but I think the whole scheme change has been a lie. It’s not to try something different IMO as much as to try an overcome the holes they failed to address

Maybe it will work but I just see teams running wild through our front seven….i mean six. It could totally invalidate what appears to be a fine secondary

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We supposedly have money so how did we let McCullom leave?

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 10:46:33, in reply to "I just don’t understand the strategy with the DL and LB"

Retention has been so good, and... well... I guess we'll see... but next year is so damn vital in at least keeping our heads above water while losing so many valuable players.

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

I'm just not sure I'm buying the we have $$ thing (or else, what is the explanation)

Posted by UofIL6 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=UofIL6' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 10:59:20, in reply to "We supposedly have money so how did we let McCullom leave?"

Aside from QB, we made pretty much 0 noise in the portal. And, we seemingly have no in-state recruiting traction with this really deep class. It just doesn't make sense

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Retention has been so good, and... well... I guess we'll see... but next year is so damn vital in at least keeping our heads above water while losing so many valuable players.

The most recent Whitman interview with Werner was extremely concerning to me.

Posted by Dude_The <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=Dude_The' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:12:18, in reply to "I'm just not sure I'm buying the we have $$ thing (or else, what is the explanation)"

Obviously this isn't a critique of what Whitman has done with the Illinois athletic department as a whole, that would be insane.

I do think he might be the only AD in the country that even considers the CSC as something more than a myth.

It is just so Illinois to have a true renaissance under somebody so competent at his job that that very competence lands him in a role that requires steadfastly following rules only he could help put in place.

Fighting with two hands tied behind his back, but somehow fighting to a tie?

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Aside from QB, we made pretty much 0 noise in the portal. And, we seemingly have no in-state recruiting traction with this really deep class. It just doesn't make sense

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Retention has been so good, and... well... I guess we'll see... but next year is so damn vital in at least keeping our heads above water while losing so many valuable players.

I'm hoping that's just misdirection. JW is much smarter than that.

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:18:51, in reply to "The most recent Whitman interview with Werner was extremely concerning to me."

The whole CSC/NIL thing is completely toothless.

The only thing that will solve this is putting steadfast transfer rules into place. IDC if it's not equitable between players and coaches. Grow the fuck up and do something before you call the shots.

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

It seems like we've heavily invested in certain positions and neglected others

Posted by OrangeSox <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=OrangeSox' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:10:05, in reply to "I'm just not sure I'm buying the we have $$ thing (or else, what is the explanation)"

This team is gonna give up so many rushing yards next season.

If we're about to lose our best recruit for next year and don't have much momentum otherwise I'm confused how this all went sideways after closing out last year's recruiting class and winning a bowl game against Tennessee.

After 19 wins over 2 years and our best class in years... it's boggleworthy*

Posted by uofi1998 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=uofi1998' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:00:33, in reply to "I'm just not sure I'm buying the we have $$ thing (or else, what is the explanation)"

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Aside from QB, we made pretty much 0 noise in the portal. And, we seemingly have no in-state recruiting traction with this really deep class. It just doesn't make sense

Previous Message

Retention has been so good, and... well... I guess we'll see... but next year is so damn vital in at least keeping our heads above water while losing so many valuable players.

Are you going to bark all day, little doggie? Or are you going to bite?

everyone has money and we have to feed Brad too (and Shauna to a very small degree)*

Posted by ijustkrushalot <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=ijustkrushalot' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:05:19, in reply to "After 19 wins over 2 years and our best class in years... it's boggleworthy*"

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Aside from QB, we made pretty much 0 noise in the portal. And, we seemingly have no in-state recruiting traction with this really deep class. It just doesn't make sense

Previous Message

Retention has been so good, and... well... I guess we'll see... but next year is so damn vital in at least keeping our heads above water while losing so many valuable players.

Right?? This should be peak excitement time*

Posted by UofIL6 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=UofIL6' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2026, 11:04:41, in reply to "After 19 wins over 2 years and our best class in years... it's boggleworthy*"

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Aside from QB, we made pretty much 0 noise in the portal. And, we seemingly have no in-state recruiting traction with this really deep class. It just doesn't make sense

Previous Message

Retention has been so good, and... well... I guess we'll see... but next year is so damn vital in at least keeping our heads above water while losing so many valuable players.

We had depth? *

Posted by bjl63 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=bjl63' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2026, 21:52:44, in reply to "DL depth just took a hit. Cam Brooks out with an achilles."

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https://x.com/mrwagner25/status/2038764086989562146?s=46

At least that's a position where we loaded up with talent in the portal and had no defections

Posted by UofIL6 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=UofIL6' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2026, 19:17:28, in reply to "DL depth just took a hit. Cam Brooks out with an achilles."

Right? Right? Right?

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https://x.com/mrwagner25/status/2038764086989562146?s=46

We’re running the 3-3-5 for a reason*

Posted by bjl63 <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=bjl63' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2026, 22:10:50, in reply to "At least that's a position where we loaded up with talent in the portal and had no defections"

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Right? Right? Right?

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https://x.com/mrwagner25/status/2038764086989562146?s=46

going to be a 1-4-6 at this rate*

Posted by Orangeillini <iframe src='https://mb.boardhost.com/TheDeuce/info/user=Orangeillini' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2026, 22:59:15, in reply to "We’re running the 3-3-5 for a reason*"

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Right? Right? Right?

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https://x.com/mrwagner25/status/2038764086989562146?s=46

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