Illinois Football Season Preview (UAB + Duke), Bielema’s 3-3-5 & Houser Watch 8.28.26

The IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular is back! ️ Powered by IlliniGuys.com, Larry Smith, Brad Sturdy, Mike Cagley, and special guests dive into the biggest headlines around Illinois sports—including a full Illinois football season preview. In this episode, we cover: Illinois football expectations heading into UAB (Thursday night opener) Bret Bielema’s Year 6 vision and what’s changed on offense and defense The new-look 3-3-5 defense + what it means for Illinois vs. UAB and Duke Katin Houser development and chemistry with new teammates Wide receiver depth and key names to watch early in the season Plus, Illini men’s basketball updates: injuries, the latest additions, and the Ivisic brothers If you’re an Illini fan looking for smart breakdowns and insider coverage, subscribe to the IlliniGuys YouTube channel and join the Illini conversation! Subscribe to IlliniGuys for more: IlliniGuys.com EXCLUSIVE: Brian Barnhart, Voice of the Fighting Illini for 25 years, joins the show! ️ GUESTS THIS WEEK: Matt Stevens – IlliniGuys.com Senior Football Writer & Analyst Brian Barnhart – Voice of the Illinois Fighting Illini (25-Year Anniversary!) Illinois opens Thursday night at Memorial Stadium vs. UAB — don't miss a second of the coverage! Want FULL access to Illini sports coverage, recruiting news, and insider analysis? Subscribe at IlliniGuys.com — Your #1 Source for Illinois Fighting Illini Sports! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular! #Illini #FightingIllini #IllinoisFootball #BretBielema #IlliniGuys #BigTen #IllinoisBasketball #BradUnderwood #KatinHowser #CollegeFootball2026 #BigTenFootball #UAB #IlliniNation #CollegeFootball #MarchMadness #FinalFour #NIL #TransferPortal #UIUC #ChampaignIllinois #IlliniSports #BrianBarnhart #CollegeSports #BigTenBasketball #IlliniMBB #IlliniGuys #IllinoisFightingIllini #IlliniSports #UAB #Duke #IlliniBasketball #BradUnderwood #NCAA #SportsTalk #FootballSeason #IlliniGuysRadioNetwork Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.