"A proven winner with a strong track record of developing players."

Football picks up another blue-chip commitment...

*Illini football add another 2026 verbal commitment...

-Kaedyn Cobbs linebacker Denton (Tex.) Guyer High School-6-foot, 200-pound 2026 prospect committed to Illinois last week.....Bret Bielema's program beat out the likes of Baylor, Nebraska and Oklahoma State for him......listed as a 'linebacker' plays all over the field on defense/running back offense in high school....sideline to sideline playmaker.....’under-sized’ probably why in-state SEC programs not offering but make no mistake about it....outstanding recruit......likely a rover/big nickel safety in college....can be a Sydney Brown type.....Super Bowl champion played robber positioned where defensive coordinator thinks play is going.......With recent signing of Jack Paris/commitments of Cobbs/Cam Thomas Jr.....outstanding linebacker prospects...Lou Tepper would be excited talented players to be developed while playing on special teams.

*Random thoughts...

-Illini offensive lineman Zy Crisler transfers to Colorado for his last season....ummm....Crisler needs to be 'coached' and goes to the program that in my view....doesn't do a good job of 'coaching' especially on the o-line...good luck to him...when I think of Buffaloes football...think of their former head coach Bill McCartney who passed away last month....condolences to his family...to me thought the guy was always a phony....lectured others on morality when his Colorado program/family life was.....messy.

'Win at any cost' type of head coach (much like Lou Holtz another head coach that likes to lecture others)....remember McCartney refusing to concede the infamous CU vs. Mizzou fifth down game where the Buffaloes won last second...getting a fifth down cause refs screwed up the down count after a penalty....rationalizing after ‘the condition of their field was so bad’ to ‘justify’ the victory…..hell remember McCartney telling his team before the 1989 Illini game in Boulder, 'Jeff George went on WGN-TV and disrespected our team'......Buffs all fired up on their way to a 38-7 win....course George did nothing of the sort.

1990 after the Illini 23-20 over Colorado in Champaign.... after McCartney accused Illinois of 'stealing our signs' let assistants have it in an expletive filled rant....staff members Tepper/Steve Bernstein both had worked at Colorado for McCartney before heading to CU....pair tried to settle the head coach down...nope raged for a good five minutes till dragged into the locker room by his S&C coaches.

Speaking of 'sign stealing'....two different people close to the football program tell the hilarious story of then Illini head coach Lovie Smith finding a young man going to school in Champaign that figured out the art of sign stealing.....Lovie hired him as a grad assistant…..GA was the last person the head coach spoke with before making his 'D' call...yeah I know....

-Former Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel named Lt. governor of the state of Ohio…..always thankful during that 2007 ILL. at Ohio State game Tressel telling his d-coordinator ‘stay in base’ till it was too late leading to a trip to the Rose Bowl for Ron Zook's program....after losing class of 2008 Cleveland Glenville wide receiver Cordale Scott/Zook's program getting an early commitment from 2009 Ohio blue-chip defensive end Melvin Fellows....Upset about another B1G school taking top prospects from 'his' state.

Tressel's 'people' in the media started an attack campaign against Zook’s program implying 'questionable' recruiting tactics/'breaking the gentlemen's agreement B1G coaches had recruiting against each other'/accusing an Illini assistant of challenging a Buckeye coach to a fight at a high school game...all bullshit of course....Zook later would ask Tressel about the accusations at a coaches meeting....Buckeye head man would deny it 'don't know what you are talking about'....no one rolls around in shit and comes out smelling like a rose better than Jim Tressel.

-Basketball-related...enough ILL. types writing about hoops so I usually stay away....had to comment on this one....Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic' NBA trade....always reminds....late 2010/early 2011 then Illini assistant basketball coach Jerrance Howard scouting players in Chicago....end of the day had heard about a player who 'no one knows yet but will be a star'....young man that had shot up five inches previous summer/still growing....Prospect playing at Chicago Perspectives High School....with the choice of going to see the player or hanging out with his buddies....reportedly....Howard decided to see the player next time he hit Chicago....went to Da' Club with his buddies....never made it back to watch player.

Player he blew off seeing was Anthony Davis...next spring became a national recruit...in the end think 'the deal' was in place for him to go to Kentucky still...behavior kind of sums up Howard's time in Champaign....always love the story of 'Snacks' having custom suits made in his hometown of Peoria and trying to pay the tailor with his comped Illini tickets....that's the legend...

-Former Illini wide receiver Aaron Moorehead a Super Bowl champion as both a player (Colts) and coach (in charge of Eagles receivers)....congratulations to ol' #86....hear former Illini lineman Dave Diehl (interning o-line coach at the University of Memphis)...would like to get a gig helping coach his alma mater...someone give him Bielema's number.

-Because of NIL....3rd day of the NFL isn't close to being as deep as it once was...so many players now can make better 'guaranteed' money in college vs. taking a chance on being drafted late/free agent type.

-"A proven winner with a strong track record of developing players”…..quote from the Hoosiers athletic department when they hired a new head coach…..How much fun as an Illini fan watching the shit show that Indiana basketball has become?....Hoosier fans, 'We need a former player that understands IU basketball to be our head coach'...well they got him in Mike Woodson who is now 'retiring'.....IU all set to get rid of him after last season.....supposedly...hire FAU's Dusty May...He a Hoosier grad/former hoops manager....why not?....Hoosier great/Indiana University board of trustee member Quinn Buckner steps in and raises a ruckus to keep his buddy Woodson for another season....AD caves...May to Michigan....remember Hoosiers haven't won an NCAA title since 1987....