Feagin, Abney all about growth in tight end room

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) - No one on Illinois football's 2026 team has score more touchdowns in an Illini uniform than Kaden Feagin. The rising senior has found the end zone 15 times through his first three years of college ball, 12 on the ground and three receiving. Aidan Laughery has the second most with eight. Now, the Arthur, Ill. native makes the move from running back to tight end for the 2026 season. Instead of boasting an ego for his several touchdowns and more than 1,500 all-purpose yards, Feagin asked for criticism from his peers when joining the tight end room. "All the tight ends were working after a lift and I'm like 'Hey, Christian, if you see me doing anything wrong you can tell me. It's not going to make me mad or anything. Be hard on me, be critical,'" Feagin said. Christian Abney is a fellow-senior in the tight end room, with the difference being he has been playing that position throughout his college career. Abney played two seasons at Ball State before joining the Illini prior to the 2025 season. Feagin says new Illini tight ends coach Jared Elliott, who coached Abney at Ball State in 2024 before working with New Mexico in 2025, has helped cultivate a tight-knit, eager to learn position group. "I feel like all the guys, we could go up to each other and be like 'Hey, you did this wrong, you did that wrong.' But it's just all out of love," Feagin said. Abney says Feagin's open invitation for helpful feedback opened the door for him to be honest and insightful as the ALAH grad joined the TE room. "It really just shows his humility," Abney said. "Someone who has played that much good football over the years, and has done so well at one position, and wants to come to another one. He is going to be great at it because of his humility, and because of his ability to improve at things and realize what he needs to improve on. Him saying something like that is just a testament to how he goes about his business, and the type of person he is." Feagin also says the tight end room has made it a priority to connect older and younger players together. Davin Stoffel is another veteran in the room who has played a fair amount of football, coming to the Illini before the 2025 season after two years at South Dakota State. Notably, all three of the seniors listed about would seemingly be eligible, if interested, for a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA's new rule allowing athletes to compete in five seasons across five years. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.