Last year’s University of Illinois freshmen are ready to take the next step as sophomores on the Fighting
Illini’s football roster in the new NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision season. With varying degrees
of experience gained in their first college football season, these potential NFL stars of the future will
soon don the orange and blue again.

Pennsylvania first legalized sports betting in 2017, with apps and online betting sites going live in May
2019. Today, the state offers a range of online sportsbooks and PA betting apps. According to Khadija
Bilal, these betting apps are all regulated by the state and provide bettors with the safest, most secure
mobile betting experience (source: https://www.sportstalkphilly.com/pa/betting-apps). Illinois took a
leaf from PA’s book, following suit in June of the same year. With online sportsbooks now fully legal and
regulated in the state, bettors in Illinois will be keen to see how these sophomores can improve the
Fighting Illini’s chances in 2024.

Fans of the university’s sports teams can now wager on their favorites from the comfort of their own
homes, or on-the-go through mobile devices, meaning that betting on college football and other sports
is much more convenient.

We’ll review the freshman seasons of three Illinois-born-and-bred sophomores as they ready themselves
for the 2024 college football campaign, hopefully lining their college up for a successful football season
in the NCAA’s Division 1, and positively affecting their supporters’ moods and bank balances.

Let’s start with defensive back Mac Resetich, a Spring Valley Hall High School graduate who excelled in
football, baseball, and basketball. Resetich committed to Illini after first considering pursuing baseball at
Black Hawk Community College. His love of football won, with the single-season rushing record holder at
Spring Valley Hall featuring in 11 games for the Fighting Illini during his freshman year.

Mac Resetich was thrust into the heat of college football early on, making his debut in the 2023 season’s
opening game – a win over the Toledo Rockets – where he completed a tackle. Nine months later, the 6-
foot defensive back made his first career interception in college football.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema selected Naperville native David Olano as his kick-off specialist in nine
games during the kicker’s freshman year. Olano, ranked 2022’s third-best high school kicker in the
country by Sailer Kicking, holds the record for the longest field goal (50 yards) in All-American Bowl
history and has seamlessly slotted into college football.

David Olano, who previously attended Naperville North High School, kicked 2796 yards in his freshman
season at an average distance of 62.1. The 19-year-old, who described the University of Illinois as "the
perfect fit" for him, plans to major in sports management.

Chicago-bred wide receiver Malik Elzy also participated in nine games for the Fighting Illini in 2023. A
product of Simeon Career Academy, Elzy is the highest-rated wide receiver to commit to Illinois since
2007’s Arrelious Benn, turning down 19 other offers to do so. His debut season didn’t disappoint, with
the 19-year-old catching his first touchdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions in September.

Like Resetich, Elzy also debuted in the season’s opener against the Toledo Rockets and described why he
chose the University of Illinois over so many other colleges as follows:

“The tradition, coaching staff, the environment. They are really big on family and I can feel the real love
from the coaches.”

Malik Elzy is adjusting well to the rigors of college football, so 2024 promises to be a big year for the
sophomore.

With an extra season of experience under their belts, these three home-grown sophomores will be
doing all they can to make 2024 a successful season for the Fighting Illini. We’ll support them every step
of the way!