2018 Illinois Fighting Illini football team


The 2018 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their third season under head coach Lovie Smith, the Fighting Illini compiled a 4–8 record, finished in last place out of seven teams in the Big Ten's West Division, and were outscored by a total of 473 to 312.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback AJ Bush, running back Reggie Corbin, wide receiver Ricky Smalling, and kicker Chase McLaughlin. McLaughlin was the only Illinois player to receive first-team honors on the 2018 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

Offseason

Recruiting

Recruits

The Fighting Illini signed a total of 17 recruits on Early National Signing Day on December 20, 2017.

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
John Mackey AwardLouis DorseyTESO
Wuerffel TrophyNick AllegrettiOLSR

Schedule

The 2018 schedule consisted of seven home and five away games in the regular season. The Fighting Illini hosted Big Ten foes Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa, and traveled to Rutgers, Wisconsin, Maryland, Nebraska and Northwestern.
The Fighting Illini hosted all three non-conference opponents, Kent State from the Mid-American Conference, Western Illinois from Missouri Valley Football Conference, and South Florida from the American Athletic Conference. The South Florida game was played at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

Game summaries

At Maryland

Players drafted into the NFL

7216Nick AllegrettiCKansas City Chiefs