Aug. 19—CHAMPAIGN — Ca'Lil Valentine had a breakout sophomore season for Illinois in 2025, setting career-highs in carries, rushing yards and touchdowns.
Valentine finished his second season in Champaign as Illinois' rushing leader, with expectations of more of the same from the 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back this fall. Expectations that got a little more fuel on Tuesday with Valentine named to the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list.
The Illini junior was one of 12 Big Ten running backs and 62 nationally recognized ahead of the 2026 season. The Doak Walker Award has been presented annually to the top running back in the country since 1990, with Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II the previous three winners.
Valentine rushed 131 times for 614 yards and four touchdowns last season. The Hayward, Calif., native enters his junior year having earned preseason All-Big Ten third-team honors from Phil Steele and All-Big Ten fourth-team recognition from Athlon.
"Being very intentional with the work," Valentine said about how he's treated his preparation for the 2026 season. "Being very intentional in the film room. Being intentional on the field. Doing what you learned in the film room on the field. I think just being that intentional and making things a priority. When coach tells you you messed up something, making that a priority to apply it on the field."
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Valentine will split carries to some degree with fifth-year running back Aidan Laughery, while fellow fifth-year Jordan Anderson will likely be tabbed for short-yardage situations. Illinois also has several younger running backs competing for snaps, including four-star freshmen Javari Barnett and Nelsyn Wheeler.
"Keeping that competition in the room is going to keep the spark," Valentine said. "If there's no competition, you're not going to have a spark. You have to compete with each other. I feel like it helps take it to a different level. If we're not going to compete with each other, how are we going to compete on the field in any type of way?"
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Mac Resetich will enter his senior season at Illinois having played in 37 of 38 possible games in his career.
The difference this fall? Resetich is set to be the Illini's starting free safety after backing up Miles Scott each of the previous three seasons with a single start in 2024.
Resetich heads into year four in Champaign with 46 career tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups and one sack. It's a level of experience, coupled with the way he's worked this offseason, that has impressed new Illinois secondary coach Ronnie Bradford.
"I'm buying stock in that kid," Bradford said. "He's a pro's pro. I say that because I have a hard time beating him in the building in the morning. He's not in here just lifting a ton of weights. He's in here taking care of his body. It's about a lot of recovery for that kid. He wants to be the same guy every day.
"He wants to have that same 'get-after-it' mentality. He's in here taking care of his body, so Monday's practice looks like Tuesday's practice looks like Wednesday's practice. The only thing we have to do with Mac is we have to taper him down on, 'Hey, this is the tempo you're going with,' because, if not, he's got himself in such great shape he'd run all day."
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Illinois' linebackers have collectively played in 100 career games. Forty belong to James Kreutz, whose experience far exceeds the rest of the players at his position. Only Robert Edmonson gets close, with 22 career games played and six starts split across three seasons at Prairie View A&M (2023-24) and Colorado State (2025).
That's actually made new inside linebackers coach Roger Cooper's job a bit easier in the run-up to the 2026 season. Cooper followed new Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck from Montana, making him the point person for the linebackers in learning Hauck's 3-3-5 scheme.
"I would say this, compared to any other scheme, it's kind of about feel," Cooper said. "There's not exact places to be. It's about seeing cloudy and clear space in front of you. They're understanding what's in front of them. If they see clear, they're taking off. If it's cloudy, they're skipping gaps and staying in depth and then being band-aids."
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Cameron Thomas appreciates the versatility Illinois' defense calls for at linebacker. The Illini freshman has taken Cooper's maxim of "shoot your shot" to heart when he sees clear space in front of him.
"You see that lane, you see that shot," Thomas said. "This defense allows our linebackers to be able to do a bunch of things. We're rushing the passer. We're dropping into coverage. We're defending the run. We literally do everything. It's fun. It takes communication on all ends, but when it works, it works."
Getting it to work is Cooper and outside linebackers coach Archie McDaniel's challenge. At least when it comes to their group's part of the defense. Being in the third week of training camp means there's still plenty to learn.
"We always say that practice is the most important thing we do," Cooper said. "Every rep is valuable. We say we fight to focus. Every time we're out there, if the ball is being snapped, if your position is out there, you're looking at that position and taking that rep. Even if you're injured or dinged, you're still taking reps."
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Christian Abney tops the internal depth chart at tight end for Illinois two-plus weeks out from the Sept. 3 season opener against UAB.
The 6-6, 260-pound Ball State transfer played in 12 of 13 games last season and made four starts for the Illini in their double-tight end package.
"He's consistent with just how he approaches every day — who he is, just his effort," Illinois tight ends coach Jared Elliott said. Elliott recruited Abney to Ball State when he coached the position for the Cardinals from 2022-24.
"I think Christian kind of replicates a lot of our values here and the standards (coach Bret Bielema) has set for our program," Elliott continued. "He's a dependable player, and he provides a physical element to our offense from the tight end position we put a premium on."
The rest of the tight end depth chart isn't too difficult to suss out.
A healthy Davin Stoffel should factor in the mix along with converted running back Kaden Feagin.
Then there's Will Vala III. The 6-3, 245-pound freshman has made an impression on the Illinois coaching staff after racking up 57 catches for 851 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season at Downers Grove North.
"Sometimes, it's important helping those young guys understand, 'Hey, the future is right now,'" Elliott said. "The game doesn't care how old you are. There's been a lot of freshmen that have played and made impacts across the country. It's about your approach. It's about your mentality.
"I think Will is wired the right way as a young player. He was an early, mid-year guy, so he got to go through the spring. To see where he is now versus the spring from a mental standpoint, you can tell he's playing with a different speed and a different confidence."
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