Senior linebacker Gabe Jacas was named to the All-Big Ten First Team Wednesday by the media. He was voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the coaches.
Jacas finished the season on a strong note, notching two sacks in three of the final four games. His late-season efforts boosted his total to 11 sacks, the most in the Big Ten.
It wasn’t pretty all season, though. Jacas had a six-game stretch where he was nearly nonexistent. After getting three sacks in the first two games, the senior tallied just 1.5 over the next six games.
He found his fire again when Illinois faced off against Rutgers. He sacked the quarterback twice. That started Jacas’ late-season tear, and he finished the final four games with 6.5 sacks.
High expectations surrounded the linebacker coming into the year. ESPN had Jacas as a preseason All-American. He finished last season with eight sacks, which earned him All-Big Ten Third Team honors.
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However, his lack of production in the middle of the season, especially against multiple top teams, quieted the hype.
His breakout in the final quarter of the season put him back on the map. Pro Football Focus has Jacas ranked in the Top 50 players in the 2026 draft. ESPN also has Jacas in its Top 50. It seems likely that the linebacker will be picked highly come April.
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