A healthy Grant Beerman could be key for Illini

Aug. 15—CHAMPAIGN — Grant Beerman made his Illinois football debut last September against Western Michigan a day before his 19th birthday. A week later, the freshman linebacker was on the field for the opening kickoff at Indiana. That game certainly didn't go the way Illinois envisioned. The eventual College Football Playoff champions thumped the Illini — a 63-10 victory by the Hoosiers in primetime on NBC. It still left a lasting impression on the West Chester, Ohio, native. "The first step on kickoff return seeing all the towels go around and knowing this is Big Ten was a 'wow' moment for me," Beerman said on Thursday, sitting in front of his locker at the Smith Center. It wasn't the last, either. Beerman grew up an Ohio State fan. Playing against the Buckeyes last season when Ohio State visited Champaign was equally memorable. "Nothing really lives up to the hype," he said, "and that was over the hype." Beerman played in 11 games in 2025 despite having zero expectations about how his first year at Illinois might play out on the field. He had aspirations, certainly, to be a first-year contributor, but nothing was guaranteed despite his promise as a four-star recruit with unique size and speed as a 6-foot-5, 230-pound linebacker. A season of special teams contributions intermingled with some defensive snaps doesn't mean the projection of Beerman's sophomore season is any clearer. A soft tissue injury kept him sidelined during the spring and another injury issue has kept him off the field as a full participant during the first two weeks of training camp. Beerman said the hope is he gets that clearance this coming week, with Illinois' 2026 season against UAB just 19 days away on Sept. 3. "To be honest, I'm not sure what it looks like," Beerman said about his second season in Champaign given his spring injury and early training camp setback. "You have expectations coming off year one and you want to be out there on the field — new defense, new scheme, new coaches. You have a lot to prove. I feel like I haven't been able to necessarily prove that. It definitely makes you anxious at times." Beerman's growth off the field in the last year has helped him handle not being on it during the spring and again this month in training camp. A deeper appreciation for the mental side of the game is a difference-maker. "In high school, I always thought just being physically more imposing, bigger, you could get away with things," Beerman said. "First year, I learned it's more of a mental game than anything. I'm still learning that, the mental battles that come with playing linebacker — especially in the Big Ten. "I think the best way of looking at it is thinking about the positives. For me, being on the sideline, it was how can I help my teammates? How can I learn the signals? How can I get better in parts of the game even though I can't be on the field? To me, that was the biggest realization. I can be a great leader even though I'm not on the field." But on the field is where the Illinois defensive staff certainly wants Beerman. New linebackers coach Roger Cooper is ready to put Beerman's versatility to good use. "That's the best thing about Grant Beerman is he can play multiple spots," Cooper said. "We have some guys on the defense, where you've got one stop and that's where your body puts you. He could play all three linebacker spots." Beerman's combination of size and speed makes it possible. That's something Illinois freshman linebacker Cameron Thomas saw when the two were teammates at Lakota West High School in the Cincinnati suburbs and again last year watching Beerman play for the Illini. "He's very athletic," Thomas said. "He's strong. He's big, long. He can get around blocks, get off blocks. It's A-to-B. He gets to the ball. ... He's a big, long 'backer who can do a lot of things. He's a great player. That's why he's here. "It was pretty dope just watching him from home knowing I was just playing with this dude a year ago. It also showed me I'd be able to get on the field as well. I feel like I'm up there with Grant. If he can get on the field as a freshman, I can get on the field as a freshman." Beerman getting on the field as a sophomore will come down to health, of course, but also how he handles a new defensive scheme following the change at coordinator from Aaron Henry to Bobby Hauck. He's short on on-field reps, obviously, but gets work in with Cooper during practice alongside fellow injured linebacker Robert Edmondson. "When we go special teams (in practice), those guys come over to me," Cooper said. "Unfortunately, I have to be the MIKE, and I'm a little out of shape. Maybe we should change that so we can get more reps, but we're running (defensive install) for 10 minutes twice a day." Beerman is hopeful his versatility in playing multiple positions can help get him on the field in a defense that excites him with its aggressive style. The extra work he's gotten with Cooper has helped build his confidence with full practice clearance potentially coming next week. A light at the end of the injury tunnel. "It's definitely been hard," Beerman said. "I've been a lucky guy that's not had to go through a lot of injuries. It's the mental challenge of going through that. I'm not going to lie. I haven't had it all figured out at times, and I've struggled, but just having the support system of my teammates and my coaches and my parents and everybody around me has made it a lot easier to know I'll get through it, and I'll be back in a week or two."