Illinois · Big TenIllinois Places Green and Witherspoon on Big Ten All-Decade Team, Sets 2026 Talent Bar
Kendrick Green and Devon Witherspoon give Illinois two recent-era selections among the conference’s best players. Their paths also frame the next question in Champaign: can Xavier Scott, Matthew Bailey and Katin Houser turn promising traits into the program’s next set of honors?
AUG 22, 2026
Illinois players named to the Big Ten All-Decade Team.
Games Kendrick Green played during three seasons at Illinois.
Tackles Devon Witherspoon recorded at Illinois.
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
Kendrick Green and Devon Witherspoon were named to the Big Ten All-Decade Team covering players from 2016 forward. Green made the group as an offensive guard after three seasons at Illinois, where he appeared in 33 games. He was a 2021 third-round pick, 87th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Witherspoon made the team as a defensive player after producing 116 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 25 pass deflections in Champaign. Seattle selected him fifth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The two selections gave Illinois more representation than Oregon, Penn State and other Big Ten programs in the exercise.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
Illinois hasn’t won a Big Ten title since 2001, so this recognition lands in a program story built more around individual peaks than conference hardware. Green reached the All-Big Ten first team and USA Today’s second-team All-America list in 2020 before becoming an NFL starter candidate. Witherspoon took the faster national path, moving from Illinois to the fifth pick in the draft and then to a Super Bowl roster in Seattle. The value here is proof that Illinois can produce high-end players even when the team hasn’t finished at the top of the league.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The part easy to miss is how sharply the two careers began. Witherspoon was rated anywhere from zero stars to two stars coming out of high school, depending on the scouting service. His rise gives Illinois a stronger development case than a recruiting-star count would suggest. That matters for the 2026 group because the program’s next names are not being presented as finished products. Xavier Scott and Matthew Bailey are the defensive backs to track, while Katin Houser carries the quarterback portion of the projection. The award list celebrates what happened. Those three names test whether it can happen again.
“Individual production can travel to the NFL while the program still lacks a Big Ten title.”
The Wire Desk04 · The PersonnelWhat It Means for Illinois
Illinois now has two recent-era players attached to one of the conference’s broadest honor lists, and both came from different sides of the ball. Green represents interior offensive line development. Witherspoon represents a secondary player who went from lightly regarded recruit to first-round NFL pick. That gives the 2026 roster a useful standard, though not a shortcut. Xavier Scott and Matthew Bailey are named as defensive back candidates, and Katin Houser is named at quarterback. None has been awarded a place on this team, and no depth-chart decision is supplied. The program’s next step is turning candidate status into production that survives Big Ten play. The first concrete test is whether those 2026 names become conference-level selections rather than preseason possibilities.
05 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
Two all-decade selections tell Illinois fans that the talent problem has never been as large as the trophy case suggests. Green and Witherspoon reached that list from opposite ends of the roster, which matters because the development story isn’t tied to one position group. Witherspoon’s recruiting background makes the point sharper. A player rated between zero and two stars became a fifth overall pick. That is real evidence for the staff’s ability to find and grow players. It isn’t evidence that Illinois has solved the team problem. Individual production can travel to the NFL while the program still lacks a Big Ten title. The 2026 candidates need to close that gap. Scott and Bailey have to become reliable defensive backs. Houser has to turn quarterback potential into winning play. The next honor only matters if the wins arrive with it.
06 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Which 2026 candidate earns the first major honor?
Xavier Scott, Matthew Bailey and Katin Houser are identified as Illinois’ leading potential names. The next reporting cycle should show whether one separates from the group through actual production.
Do Scott and Bailey become more than projections?
Both defensive backs are named among Illinois’ highest-potential players. Their roles and output will determine whether the Witherspoon development path has a current successor.
Can Houser carry the quarterback case?
Houser is included among the program’s top 2026 candidates. His standing will depend on whether the potential becomes a clear on-field result.