CHAMPAIGN — Illinois football still has one game left to play, but for Bret Bielema and his coaching staff, the offseason starts in earnest right now. Following a “pretty big-ass statement” with a 9-3 regular season — the Illini’s best in 17 years — Illinois likely is headed to the Citrus Bowl, the Big Ten’s premier non-College Football Playoff bowl tie-in, with a New Year’s Eve tilt against a strong SEC team.

But before the 2024 season truly wraps up, the Illini will do a lot of heavy lifting for its 2025 team as the offseason hits high gear this week.

The early signing period goes from Wednesday to Friday this week with most Class of 2025 prep and JUCO prospects signing with programs during those three days. The winter transfer portal then opens up on Dec. 9 (closing on Dec. 28), which will cause a frenzy of player movement — and plenty of high-figure financial transactions.

“I’m super excited to kind of take a deep breath, but I think this week is going to be absolute pandemonium and chaos,” Bielema said. “…I know other kids are contacting us, so I know I’m not naive to the facts not going on in our building.”

So as Illinois enters the most important month of talent acquisition on the college football calendar, let’s break down the top 10 items on Illinois coach Bret Bielema’s offseason to-do list.