Illinois linebacker Gabe Jacas may not be a finished football product just yet, but the Illini were fortunate to coax him back to Champaign after an offseason in which coach Bret Bielema intimated that he had been offered bug NIL money by other programs.

Somebody other than Texas quarterback Arch Manning led Todd McShay's initial mock for the 2026 NFL draft. The Ringer's draft expert projected the New York Jets to select LSU's Garrett Nussmeier with the No. 1 overall pick. Manning was conspicuous by his absence in the first round altogether.

Arch Manning, the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, has been under the spotlight since his high school days. After a redshirt year in 2023, he served as the backup to Quinn Ewers in 2024,