Is Illinois Football Linebacker Gabe Jacas Even Better Than We Thought?

Everyone in the college football world knows the name Gabe Jacas. He isn’t “under the radar” or a “dark horse candidate” for any award lists. Jacas, the most dangerous threat on Illinois' defense, is the No. 1 priority on the scouting report of every opposing offense the Illini face.

That was surely the case in Week 1 against Western Illinois. Yet despite the Leathernecks' best efforts – including double teams with two offensive lineman blocking Jacas – there was no containing the 6-foot-3, 270 pounder off the edge, nor even slowing him down. Somehow, even with Jacas facing absurdly high expectations walking into the season, he managed to surpass them in Week 1. So is he actually “underrated”? Let’s take a deep dive into his first outing of 2025 and answer that question:

Gabe Jacas dominates

Jacas’ stat line: Five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, one pass breakup and a quarterback hurry

*All stats were in the first half (played scarcely in second half)

Known for his brute strength and deep arsenal of pass-rush moves (dip-and-rips, swim moves, bull rush, etc.), Jacas certainly wasted no time reminding the country he’s a physical and skilled player. But it was his first step and explosion off the line of scrimmage that was truly eye-catching – a sign of his offseason progression (he even shed a few pounds).

Jacas’ first sack – which was ultimately called a strip sack – was pure acceleration and speed. Looking like he was shot out of a cannon, Jacas slipped between two Western Illinois offensive linemen and reached the quarterback in the blink of an eye. Clearly, a (shocking) miscommunication from the O-line allowed Jacas to go untouched in the first place, but his burst was unbelievably impressive nevertheless.