A look at football players in the Big Ten this spring who are poised to have breakout seasons this fall:
Illinois
kAm%t r@=6 #FD< H2D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 2 DE2CE6C =2DE J62C[ 3FE 2 >2;@C 66 :?;FCJ 6?565 9:D D62D@? 367@C6 :E 3682?] w6 4@F=5 >2<6 2? :>>65:2E6 :>A24E 2E 2 A@D:E:@? E92E ?665D E@ 36 >@C6 AC@5F4E:G6] %96 e\7@@E\d[ ad_\A@F?56C H2D @?6 @7 E96 E@A E:89E 6?5D 😕 E96 ur$ 2E |FCC2J $E2E6 😕 a_ab[ 42E49:?8 bh 32==D 7@C d_f J2C5D 2?5 D:I E@F495@H?D]k^Am
k9amx?5:2?2k^9am
kAm(# ~>2C r@@A6C yC] H2D >@DE=J 2 324@?8 C646:G6CD 369:?5 DE2C t=:;29 $2CC2EEVD 6:89E] x?5:2?2 3C@F89E 😕 E96 AC@5F4E:G6 |2<2: y24 pAA2=249:2? $E2E6[ 3FE !C:46 2?5 z6V$92H? (:==:2>D 2C6 8@?6 2?5 E92E D9@F=5 8:G6 r@@A6C 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ :?4C62D6 9:D ?F>36CD]k^Am
k9amx@H2k^9am
kAm(# y24@3 v:== DE2?5D E@ 36?67:E 8C62E=J 7C@> E96 255:E:@? @7 $@FE9 s2<@E2 $E2E6 EC2?D76C “q |2C< vC@?@HD<:[ 62D:=J E96 36DE AFC6 A2DD6C 2E x@H2 D:?46 E9C66\J62C DE2CE6C }2E6 $E2?=6J Wa_`f\`hX] v:== 925 bd 42E496D 7@C c“ J2C5D =2DE D62D@?[ >@56DE ?F>36CD 3FE DE:== E96 36DE 2>@?8 x@H2 C646:G6CD] }@H E96 32== H:== 36 56=:G6C65 3J @?6 @7 E96 >@DE AC@=:7:4 BF2CE6C324
k9am|2CJ=2?5k^9am
kAm$ {2G2:? $4CF88D 92D 2AA62C65 😕 ab 82>6D >@DE=J 2D 2 324
k9am|:49:82?k^9am
kAm%t y2=6? w@77>2? 5:5 ?@E 42E49 2 A2DD 😕 9:D 7:CDE EH@ D62D@?D 369:?5 r@=DE@? {@G6=2?5[ 3FE 96 =@@2? 925 D6G6C2= 42E496D 😕 E96 DAC:?8 82>6[ :?4=F5:?8 2 D4C:>>286\6?5:?8[ gg\J2C5 E@F495@H? C646AE:@? 7C@> &?56CH@@5 @? 2 C6G6CD6 7=62 7=:4<6C]k^Am
k9am|:49:82? $E2E6k^9am
kAmrq y@D9F2 t2E@? EC2?D76CC65 7C@> %6I2D $E2E6 7@C 9:D D:IE9 D62D@?[ 2?5 96V== 36 8:G6? 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ H:? @?6 @7 E96 EH@ @A6? 4@C?6C324< DA@ED] t2E@? H2D 2 7@FC\DE2C C64CF:E 4@>:?8 @FE @7 9:89 D49@@= 3FE A=2J65 DA2C:?8=J 😕 E9C66 J62CD 2E ~<=29@>2] w6 DE2CE65 a_ @7 ad 82>6D 2E %6I2D $E2E6 2?5[ 2E e\` 2?5 `gf A@F?5D[ 8:G6D E96 $A2CE2?D D@>6 D:K6 2E E96 A@D:E:@?]k^Am
k9am|:??6D@E2k^9am
kAm{:DE:?8 z@: !6C:49 2D 2 D276EJ 😀 2 =:>:E:?8 6I6C4:D6 E96 v@A96CD 2C6?’E 6?828:?8 :?[ H:E9 A=2?D E@ 6IA2?5 @? 9:D $H:DD pC>J AC6DD:G6 563FE E92E 62C?65 9:> 2 7:CDE E62> p==\q:8 %6? D6=64E:@? 3J E96 p!] !6C:49 H:== C6EFC? <:4
k9am}63C2D<2k^9am
kAm#q t>>6EE y@9?D@? 😀 😕 =:?6 E@ 36 2 H@C<9@CD6] w6VD 3J 72C E96 >@DE 6IA6C:6?465 A=2J6C 😕 2 CF??:?8 324< C@@> E92E =@DE >@C6 E92? e_T @7 :ED AC@5F4E:@?] y@9?D@? 2G6C2865 d]` J2C5D A6C 42CCJ 2?5 ce J2C5D A6C 82>6 2D E96 3242?5D 2 A9JD:42= CF? 82>6[ 2?5 E96 d\7@@E\“[ a__\A@F?5 y@9?D@? 😀 3F:=E E@ E9C:G6 😕 :E]k^Am
k9am}@CE9H6DE6C?k^9am
kAmrq ~C6 p56J: H2D @? EC24< E@ 36 2 DE2CE6C =2DE J62C 367@C6 DFDE2:?:?8 2 D62D@?\6?5:?8 :?;FCJ =2E6 😕 72== 42>A] w6 😀 😕 =:?6 E@ 86E E96 ;@3 324< :7 96 42? 362E @FE y246D H:E9 @?6 DE2CE 2?5 >256 a_ E24<=6D[ :?4=F5:?8 2 42C66C\9:89 7@FC 282:?DE !6?? $E2E6]k^Am
k9am~9:@ $E2E6k^9am
kAmst {@82? v6@C86 EC2?D76CC65 7C@> x529@ $E2E6 😕 y2?F2CJ 2?5 92D >256 2 3:8 :>AC6DD:@? 😕 2 D9@CE 2>@F?E @7 E:>6] w6 D2H E:>6 @? E96 D64@?5 E62> 5FC:?8 E96 DAC:?8[ 3FE H:E9 E96 5676?D:G6 =:?6’D DECF88=6D[ 4@F=5 4@>A6E6 7@C 2 DE2CE:?8 DA@E] “w6’D 8@E DEC@?8 92?5D] w6’D 8@E A9JD:42=:EJ[” 4@249 #J2? s2J D2:5 27E6C E96 DAC:?8 82>6]k^Am
k9am~C68@?k^9am
kAm(# s:==@? vC6D92> 😀 4@?D:56C65 @?6 @7 E96 sF4A6E6 7@C D:8?:7:42?E A=2J:?8 E:>6 4@>6 72==] vC6D92> H2D 2 7@FC\DE2C C64CF:E H9@ 5:5 ?@E 2AA62C 😕 2 82>6 =2DE D62D@? H9:=6 C65D9:CE:?8] w6 42F89E E9C66 32==D 7@C he J2C5D 😕 E96 DAC:?8 82>6[ :?4=F5:?8 2 de\J2C5 E@F495@H?]k^Am
k9am!6?? $E2E6k^9am
kAm(# s6G@?E6 #@DD 😀 2>@?8 E96 ?6H4@>6CD E@ 2 8C@FA @7 H:56@FED E92E >256 ?@ 42E496D 😕 E96 r@==686 u@@E32== !=2J@77 D6>:7:?2= =@DD E@ }@EC6 s2>6] #@DD H2D 2? p==\$F? q6=E r@?76C6?46 7:CDE\E62> A:4< 27E6C =625:?8 E96 =628F6 H:E9 “ E@F495@H? 42E496D E@ 8@ H:E9 `[_cb J2C5D @? fe C646AE:@?D] w6 92D “e 42E496D @G6C E96 A2DE EH@ D62D@?D] w6 2=D@ 😀 2? 244@>A=:D965 <:4< 2?5 AF?E C6EFC?6C]k^Am
k9am!FC5F6k^9am
kAm~{ qC25J? y@:?6C H2D ?2>65 E@ E96 $trVD 2==\7C6D9>2? E62> 27E6C E2<:?8 @G6C 2D pF3FC?VD DE2CE:?8 =67E 8F2C5 E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 E96 D62D@?] %96 e\7@@E\a[ bag\A@F?5 y@:?6C 😀 2 <6J 255:E:@? 2D E96 q@:=6C>2<6CD ECJ E@ FA8C256 E96:C @776?D:G6 =:?6[ H9:49 2==@H65 ba D246D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ !C@ u@@E32== u@4FD]k^Am
k9am#FE86CDk^9am
kAm#q y2’D9@? q6?;2>:?[ F?56C E96 C252C E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D[ 😀 FA 7@C 2 >@C6 AC@>:?6?E C@=6 ?@H E92E DE2C zJ=6 |@?2?82: 92D >@G65 @?] q6?;2>:? 92D 2AA62C65 😕 `b 82>6D @G6C EH@ D62D@?D 2?5 92D CF? 7@C afa J2C5D 2?5 EH@ E@F495@H?D] p?EH2? #2J>@?5[ H9@D6 cdf CFD9:?8 J2C5D =65 q:8 %6? 7C6D9>6?[ H6?E :?E@ E96 DAC:?8 2D E96 AC@;64E65 DE2CE6C[ 3FE 4@249 vC68 $49:2?@ E@=5 C6A@CE6CD “5@?VE D=66A @?” q6?;2>:?]k^Am
k9am$@FE96C? r2=:7@C?:2k^9am
kAm%t (2=E6C |2EE96HD[ 2E e\e 2?5 afa A@F?5D[ 😀 😕 E96 >:I 7@C D:8?:7:42?E A=2J:?8 E:>6 27E6C C65D9:CE:?8 9:D 7:CDE D62D@?] w6 H2D E96 }@] a\C2?<65 E:89E 6?5 AC@DA64E 3J t$!} 😕 a_ab 2?5 4@F=5 62D:=J 36 4@?7FD65 7@C 2? @776?D:G6 E24<=6] w6 😀 25G2?465 2D 2 A2DD\42E496C 2?5 C@FE6\CF??6C[ 2?5 96VD 92C5 E@ 3C:?8 5@H?] %96 %C@;2?D 2=D@ >:89E FD6 9:> 2D 2 D:IE9 @776?D:G6 =:?6>2? 😕 E96 C65 K@?6]k^Am
k9am&r{pk^9am
kAmsq y25J? |2CD92== 6?E6CD 9:D 7@FCE9 D62D@? J6E E@ 7:?5 9:D ?:496] w6 H2D 2 E@A\b_ C646:G6C 2D 2 7@FC\DE2C C64CF:E 3FE >@G65 E@ 5676?D:G6 324< 😕 a_ab] w6 A=2J65 >@DE=J @? DA64:2= E62>D =2DE J62C] r@249 s6$92F? u@DE6C D2:5 |2CD92== 4@F=5 D66 24E:@? @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 32== 2D 2 C646:G6C 2?5 5676?D:G6 324<[ 2?5 96 2=D@ 4@F=5 C6EFC? <:4
k9am(2D9:?8E@?k^9am
kAm{q y24@3 |2?F EC2?D76CC65 7C@> pC:K@?2[ H96C6 96 A=2J65 EH@ D62D@?D 7@C 4FCC6?E wFD<:6D 4@249 y655 u:D49] |2?F H2D 2? p==\!24\`a 7:CDE\E62> A:4< 😕 a_ab H96? 96 =65 E96 4@?76C6?46 😕 E24<=6D H:E9 “e[ :?4=F5:?8 e]d D246D]k^Am
k9am(:D4@?D:?k^9am
kAm#q s:=:? y@?6D H2D 2 C6G6=2E:@? E9:D DAC:?8 2?5 H:== 4@>A6E6 H:E9 s2CC:@? sFAC66 7@C 42CC:6D ?@H E92E a_ac CFD9:?8 =6256C %2H66 (2=<6C 92D EC2?D76CC65] y@?6D 925 ;FDE `e 42CC:6D =2DE D62D@?[ 2== 282:?DE $@FE9 s2<@E2[ !FC5F6 2?5 #FE86CD] w6 8@E >@C6 6IA@DFC6 27E6C sFAC66 :?;FC65 9:D 2?<=6 pAC:= `_ 2?5 :>AC6DD65 4@249 {F<6 u:4<6== H:E9 9:D 677@CE 2?5 2EE:EF56]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! $A@CED (C:E6CD s2G6 r2>A36== 😕 |:??62A@=:D[ p?5C6H s6DE:? 😕 $62EE=6[ {2CCJ {286 😕 p?? pC3@C[ |:49:82?[ $E6G6 |682C866 😕 |25:D@?[ (:D4@?D:?[ p??6 |] !6E6CD@?[ 😕 tF86?6[ ~C68@?[ 2?5 y@6 #665J 😕 r@=F>3FD[ ~9:@[ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmv6E A@== 2=6CED 2?5 FA52E6D @? E96 p! %@A ad E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@?] $:8? FA k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A?6HD]4@>^?6HD=6EE6CDQm96C6k^2m] p! 4@==686 7@@E32==i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2A\E@A\ad\4@==686\7@@E32==\A@==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2A\E@A\ad\4@==686\7@@E32==\A@==k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@==686\7@@E32==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@==686\7@@E32==k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.