With just seven returning starters from its nine-win team, Illinois has plenty of questions to answer during Thursday’s opener against UAB in Champaign, Ill.
Can East Carolina transfer Katin Houser live up to the quarterbacking standards Luke Altmyer set over the last three years? Will the revamped offensive line give Houser time to do his thing? And, perhaps most compelling, how is Illinois’ 3-3-5 defense going to work?
Sixth-year head coach Bret Bielema hired Montana head coach Bobby Hauck in the offseason to install the 3-3-5 alignment designed to magnify Illinois’ deep defensive backfield and play down its relatively inexperienced line.
Fifth-year safety Matt Bailey, senior corner Juice Clarke and junior corner Tanner Heckel are the only returning defensive starters, though 2025 preseason all-Big Ten corner Xavier Scott is back after suffering a season-ending injury in September.
“I think if you would ask our defensive guys, they’re having a lot of fun,” Bielema said. “They’re having a lot of fun flying around playing this defense. I think the offense can feel it when they get some energy going. I think the personality of our defense is what excites me-to see that come to life against an opponent.”
Illinois has a nine-game winning streak in nonconference games and went 8-0 outside the Big Ten the past two seasons, when the Fighting Illini established a program record for total wins over a two-year period (19).
As for Houser, Illinois expects his second go-round through the Big Ten to go much better than his first. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound fifth-year slinger spent his first two seasons throwing for six touchdowns, five interceptions and 1,132 yards at struggling Michigan State.
But after piling up 37 touchdowns and 5,306 yards over two years at East Carolina, Houser became Illinois’ portal choice for his big arm and eagerness for the moment.
“I would tell you this,” Bielema said. “There’s a lot of people ready to play this game. There’s nobody more excited to play this game than Katin Houser.”
UAB has just three returning starters from a 4-8 squad that enjoyed a midseason pick-me-up when Alex Mortensen took over for fired head coach Trent Dilfer. In Mortensen’s first game, the Blazers shocked undefeated No. 22 Memphis. That encouraged UAB to remove the interim tag from Chris Mortensen’s son in early December.
Mortensen brought in 42 transfers and 19 freshmen to accelerate UAB’s desire for its first winning record since joining the American Conference in 2023, though retained senior quarterback Ryder Burton runs the show after amassing 708 yards and 7 TDs last year.
“He’s able to take on more complex material and still play fast and process at a high speed,” Mortensen said. “In his second year, he’s really coming to understand what we’re doing. It’s been fun to watch.”
