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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Nate McNeal rejoined the Illinois football staff as Executive Director of Player Evaluations and Acquisitions, head coach Bret Bielema announced. McNeal returns to Illinois after spending the 2024 season as the General Manager at Syracuse.
“I am excited to bring Nate back to our personnel staff,” said Bielema. “Nate is a talented recruiter and evaluator who has built strong connections throughout the state of Illinois and nationwide that helped shape our current roster. He has an established trust and understanding within our building with coaches and staff. We look forward to his return to Champaign.”
“I am excited to reunite with Nate,” said General Manager Patrick Embleton. “Nate was here from the start with Coach Bielema and embodies everything we look for in our program: tough, smart, dependable. He will be a huge addition in the retention and recruitment of our players and will continue to uphold the value and standards of Illinois.”
“Thank you to Coach Bielema, Patrick Embleton, Josh Whitman, and Roger Denny for the opportunity to return to Illinois,” said McNeal. “It is a blessing to return to a place that I consider home and be back with the Illini famILLy. The future is bright for this program and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
McNeal helped Syracuse to a 10-3 season in 2024 while leading the personnel staff for the Orange. Syracuse brought in the No. 24 transfer class in the nation according to 247Sports, a group that helped the Orange to a 52-35 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl to cap the program’s first 10-win season since 2018.
McNeal previously served as the Fighting Illini’s Director of Player Personnel (2022-23), Director of Recruiting (2021), and Director of High School Relations (2016-18) over the course of six seasons and two stints in Champaign.
A Chicago native and product of Thornwood High School, McNeal has deep ties to the state of Illinois. In addition to his six seasons at Illinois, McNeal spent three years on staff at his alma mater, Northern Illinois, from 2014-16 following a…
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