Breaking down the new look for Illinois’ 2026 defense

When the Illini take the football field this season, the defense will have a slightly different look. New defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck is bringing his version of the 3-3-5 defense, which promises high energy. — and may be a little different for fans.

The Illini ran a 3-3-5 about 90% of the time last season, according to head Coach Bret Bielema. So what will we see that is different?

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Stagnant numbers and predictability causing the need for the switch?

The last three years have been so-so for the Orange and Blue under the Aaron Henry bend-don’t-break defense. At times, it bent way too much and broke when it shouldn’t have. Henry used the read-and-react, fill-the-gaps style, which, personnel-wise, the Illini were ill-equipped to run. With only one true pass rusher (Gabe Jacas) and a not-so-sturdy defensive front, the Illini seemed slow and lacked true aggressiveness on defense.

The defense took an obvious turn downward after Ryan Walters left (after the 2022 season), and losing talent like Devon Witherspoon, Sydney Brown and Quan Martin to the NFL didn’t help.

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That is not to give Henry an excuse, as the numbers were not completely terrible. However, there has never been much improvement and more regression than was expected. Plus, as Coach Bielema said in a story by Jason Langendorf of MSN, “When I got into the league in 2021, the defense we were running there were about two or three teams that ran it. Last year at the end of the year, there were 12, you could say 13 teams, that ran a variation of our defense more than anything else. So we’d become a really routine prep, and I want to have something a little bit more unique.”

So, regressing numbers and predictability called for a change to elevate the defense.

So, if it is still a 3-3-5 what makes this different?

While formation-wise, it may not look different from last season, the uniqueness about Hauck’s 3-3-5 that people will see is a lot of pre-snap movement with stunts and shifts that are meant to confuse the offense by hiding the defense’s intentions. Blitz packages can come from anywhere; this puts pressure on the Offensive line to recognize targets in the blocking schemes. For a QB, it makes it harder to read a secondary. Because of the movement, they can switch from a cover-2 to a cover-3 before the snap.

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Aggressiveness: This can pay big dividends but also comes with big risk. Look for the Illini to blitz more often and in different situations. It will be a balancing act, or as I have heard people describe it, controlled chaos.

Flexibility: The ability to drop linebackers and bring up safeties makes it easy to switch defensive coverages; and lends to the confusion.

So which players have the chance to excel under the new 3-3-5?

Matthew Bailey (S) – Illinois leading tackler the last two seasons at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Bailey has the size (marginally) to switch from DB to OLB. He has not only led the team in total tackles the last two seasons but in solo tackles as well. Last season, he led in total, solo, and assists. He is a high-energy player who I think is a natural for a Hauck system.

Xavier Scott (CB) – Scott, who missed most of last season with an injury, was the team leader in interceptions (4) and second in pass break-ups (6). He is an above-average run defender and average cover man who can read the field very well. The ability to switch coverage should come easily to him. He, like Bailey, is a high-energy type of guy who should fit well in the new scheme.

Joe Barna (DE) – Barna gets his chance to shine as the main edge rusher. I think he can do well; he has very good size and athleticism. He has a good football mentality and instinct. In a system with a blitz that can come from anywhere, defenses will not be able to focus solely on him.

Carter Janki (DT) – The former Ivy League DT is an above-average run defender and pass rusher. Many think he is ready for the step up in competition. Janki is a two-time All-Ivy League selection. He is known as an elite pass rusher. The DT/NT position will be counted on to control the inside. Janki has the tools to do so.

James Kreutz (ILB) – Kreutz will be the man-in-the-middle. I think in this version of the 3-3-5, his role will be more as a pass rusher/run-stopper than a coverage guy. If that is the case, I think he can shine bright with the multiple blitzing packages that are available in the Hauck 3-3-5.

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Concerns?

The Hauck 3-3-5 defense offers a lot of positives given the talent that the Illini have in the secondary. The overall athleticism of the team should it this scheme. There are risks with being so aggressive, as this takes a lot of discipline and trust in your team.  This is concerning since the Illini will be employing a defensive line and linebacker corps that have zero returning starters and only six players who played last season.

We will all find out in less than a month the first game is Sept. 3 vs. UAB at Memorial Stadium.