Illini Inquirer Podcast: An Illinois Fighting Illini athletics podcast

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner reacts to Illinois football landing Notre Dame transfer wide receiver, and Tim O'Malley of Irish Illustrated breaks down what he saw out of Armstrong in four years at Notre Dame and what he thinks Armstrong can bring to the Illini. O'Malley also discusses Houston Griffith's return to Notre Dame as well as transfer linebacker Jack Lamb.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner gives thoughts on Bret Bielema's completed first staff and what he thinks of the group on paper, in terms of both coaching and recruiting. Then Jeremy chats with Cory Smith from PackPride.com to discuss former NC State assistants George McDonald and Aaron Henry and discuss what they bring to the Illini staff. Then Jeremy chats with PonyStampede.com's Billy Embody ab...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Joey Wagner discuss how Bret Bielema has changed the Illinois football program during his first month on the job. The guys discuss his approach to recruiting, especially in state, how he helped retain an experienced roster and the staff he's putting together. The guys also discuss a report that Bielema could be closing in on a new wide receivers coach.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner, Derek Piper and Joey Wagner discuss Illinois basketball's 79-65 win over Penn State. The guys discuss Brad Underwood shaking up the starting lineup, inserting Jacob Grandison over Da'Monte Williams and its impact on a hot start, Kofi Cockburn's dominance and how this bounceback win translates to future games.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner, Derek Piper and Joey Wagner react to Illinois basketball's 87-81 loss to Ohio State and what it says about a hyped team that is not living up to expectations. The guys discuss yet another slow start and reasons behind it, E.J. Liddell going off on his home state team again and what Brad Underwood and his players need to do to correct their issues moving forward.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Ryan Easterling discuss Bret Bielema's early approach to building the program. The guys discuss their initial reactions to his first seven staff hirings and how they complement each other. Then the guys discuss the three early transfer additions (RB Chase Hayden, LB Calvin Hart Jr. and FB/TE Max Rosenthal) and big-name transfer targets, including LB Ayodele Adeo...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner, Derek Piper and Joey Wagner discuss Maryland's 66-63 upset win over No. 12 Illinois. The guys discuss why the loss isn't all that surprising, why it happened and why it could be one to regret in the long-term.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with former Illinois guard Mike LaTulip about Illinois basketball's historically dominant 81-56 comeback win at Northwestern. The guys discuss what that comeback shows about this Illini team but also the concerns of digging so many early holes. Then the guys dive into Kofi Cockburn's improvement and the supporting cast around Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu before di...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner discusses Illinois football's reported hiring of Mizzou DC Ryan Walters and chats with PowerMizzou.com's Gabe DeArmond about what Walters brings as a coach and as a recruiter. Then Jeremy discusses Cory Patterson staying on staff as well as the latest in-state recruiting efforts by Bret Bielema's staff.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner discusses 3-star RB Joshua McCray and NC State transfer LB CJ Hart committing to Illinois, as well as Mookie Cooper committing to Missouri. Then Jeremy chats with R. Cory Smith from PackPride.com about what Hart brings to the Illini.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Ryan Easterling discuss the three reported Illinois defensive coordinator candidates, according to FootballScoop: Wofford head coach Josh Conklin, Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and Missouri defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. The guys also react to Bret Bielema's latest hires, strength and conditioning coach Tank Wright and chief of staff Mark...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with The 200 Level Podcast's Mike Carpenter about the latest Illini hoops win, his #StartCurbelo stance and and comings and goings for Illinois football on the coaching staff and the roster.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper react to Illinois basketball's 66-58 win over Purdue. The guys dive into the slow starts of both halves and whether Andre Curbelo should start. The guys also talk about Coleman Hawkins' impact and Da'Monte Williams' transformation before talking about the winnable stretch ahead.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with Joey Wagner, who is joining the Illini Inquirer team as a senior reporter on Jan. 10. The guys discuss why Joey is making a move from the Decatur Herald and Review and what he'll bring to Illini Inquirer. The guys talk about his journalism background and his time covering the Illini for the past three years. The guys also look forward to what they'll cove...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with David Ware of App State Mania to learn more about new Illinois offensive coordinator Tony Petersen and what he'll bring to Bret Bielema's staff.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner chats with ESPN analyst and former Illini guard Sean Harrington about the first one-third of the Illinois basketball season and his first impressions of Big Ten basketball. The guys talk about the depth of the Big Ten, whether Northwestern is good and who currently is the best team in the league. Then Sean breaks down the Illini, including how he'd attack Illinois,...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper discuss Illinois basketball's 69-60 win over Indiana, including Ayo Dosunmu's heroics, Kofi Cockburn's head-to-head battle against Trayce Jackson-Davis and Giorgi Bezhanishvili getting over his sophomore slump. Then the guys discuss the debate about whether Illinois should start Andre Curbelo over Adam Miller. The guys end the podcast discussing if N...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper react to Illinois basketball's 98-81 win at Penn State. The guys chat about the Illini's slow start and defensive issues but also chat about the Illini's elite offense, led by the Big Three of Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn and Andre Curbelo. The guys also talk about strong off-the-bench performances from Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Jacob Grandison. The guy...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner catches up with The 200 Level's Michael Carpenter to chat about a busy last two weeks in Illini athletics. The guys first discuss the hiring of Bret Bielema, what he brings to the program and how Josh Whitman decided to hire him. The guys also try to put the Lovie Smith era into historical context. Then the guys chat about Illinois basketball's 5-3 start to the seas...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper react to Illinois basketball's 91-88 loss at No. 19 Rutgers. The guys discuss fouling issues, some freshmen moments and whether we should adjust expectations after Illinois fell to 2-3 against high-major opponents.

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner dives into Illinois football's recent in-state recruiting issues and how Bret Bielema will attack recruiting the state's top prospects. IHSFCA president Mark Grounds discusses his chat with Bielema hours after Bielema was named the new Illini head coach and how his approach already differs from Lovie Smith. Then EdgyTim.com's Tim O'Halloran discusses Bielema's histo...

Illini Inquirer publisher Jeremy Werner explores what went well and what went wrong at new Illinois coach Bret Bielema's two previous head coaching stints. Benjamin Worgull of BadgerBlitz.com breaks down why Bielema had such success following in Barry Alvarez's footsteps at Wisconsin, how he lifted the Badgers to three straight B1G titles and why he abruptly left in 2012. Then Trey Biddy of HawgSp...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner, Ryan Easterling and Isaac Trotter react to Illinois hiring former Wisconsin, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema. The guys break down what this move says about what Josh Whitman wants and the guys break down how Bielema fits at Illinois from a personality, recruiting, on-field identity and staff-building standpoint at Illinois. Extra reading Werner: Whitman goes big again...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Derek Piper discuss No. 13 Illinois basketball 92-65 win over Minnesota in the Big Ten opener. The guys react to Kofi Cockburn's career night (33 points, 13 rebounds) and what it means for the sophomore big man. The guys also discuss the Illini's shutdown defense and the performances of freshmen Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller before looking ahead to Sunday's game...

Illini Inquirer's Jeremy Werner and Ryan Easterling break down and discuss more Illinois football coaching candidate possibilities. The guys discuss taking a shot at Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and the merits of coordinator candidates Jim Leonhard (Wisconsin) and Marcus Freeman (Cincinnati). Then the guys talk about potential retread power-five coaches like Bret Bielema, Jim McElwain and Kevin S...