The 2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their first season under head coach Bret Bielema, the Fighting Illini compiled a 5âÂÂ7 record (4âÂÂ5 in conference games), finished in fifth place in the Big Ten's West Division, and were outscored by a total of 263 to 242. The team's 20âÂÂ18 victory over No. 7 Penn State set an NCAA single-game record with nine overtime periods.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Brandon Peters (1,170 passing yards, 53.8% completion percentage), running back Chase Brown (1,005 rushing yards), wide receiver Isaiah Williams (47 receptions for 525 yards), kicker James McCourt (80 points, 26 of 26 extra points, 18 of 23 field goals), and defensive back Sydney Brown (81 total tackles, 50 solo tackles). Defensive back Kerby Joseph received first-team honors from the media on the 2021 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
The Illini were predicted to finish seventh in the Big Ten's West Division.