Grant Beerman, spring of 2025: Graduate early from HS, 4.0 in his 1st semester while learning the playbook & attending 6:00 am workouts. Robert Rosenthal, spring of 1992: 2.3 GPA, slept through a test that was 15% of his grade & never talked to the professor, academic probation.

I loved academic probation so much I did it twice. And I saved the second letter in a box just so I’d never forget the mountain I had summited when I received my degree. (Before anyone asks, Illinois was on a 5.0 scale at the time so 3.375 is really 2.375.)

Two-time winners on the PGA Tour this season: Rory McIlroy Scottie Scheffler Sepp Straka Ryan Fox Ben Griffin BRIAN CAMPBELL

30 PGA Tour events this year so far (including the side events during Signature Event weekends) and three of them have been won by Illini golfers. I’m not the best at math (academic probation and whatnot) but I believe that’s 10%.

Brian Campbell on the mic: Shoutout University of Illinois, I-L-L

The absolute best part of Campbell winning twice on tour this year: here’s his rank in driving distance (out of 171 golfers on the PGA Tour). This one is for every “drop me here with my hybrid and then I’ll walk to your ball after I hit” golfer (like me).

One more: Brian Campbell earnings from 2015 to 2024: $1,466,797 (avg. $146k per year). Brian Campbell earnings in 2025 so far: $3,174,659

OK sorry I said I was done for the evening but I just heard the ILL-INI chant at 17 seconds here and it added 4 months to my life:

It used to be automatic qualification for winning the Deere. But that's not the case now. Still, Campbell moved up to #55 on the OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking) today. Top-50 get into The Open and with others qualifying in other categories (plus their "reserve list"), he's in.

It's time to play everyone's favorite game... Circle The Teams On The 2025 Illinois Big Ten Schedule!

After the Big 12/Microsoft Copilot thread yesterday with AI images, I decided to ask it to create a similar rendering for Memorial Stadium on the day of the Michigan game last October. AI must hate it when the students sing the "s".

You can’t throw shade on the corn, DJ.

This is it. This is the one. I believe he’s one of the best recruits this decade. Illini legacy who will now wear the same jersey his late father once wore. The next Sydney Brown/Matt Bailey who will tackle absolutely everyone. As juiced as I’ve been over one recruit in years.

#Oklahoma lost a recruit to #Illinois. #FireEverybody

4.75

Red rover red rover send Jacob on over.