Illinois football's head coach announced a position change that could be viewed as an experiment.
The Illinois Fighting Illini have become a program to watch in the Big Ten and recruiting successes have followed for coach Bret Bielema's program.
One of the team's most intriguing Class of 2026 prospects is 6-foot-4, 215 pound three-star freshman Jacob Eberhart of St. Louis, Missouri, whose cousin Markus Golden is a former second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals.
Eberhart has big aspirations of making a living off of playing football and hopes to fulfill them with the Illinois Fighting Illini this season.
According to a decision shared by coach Bielema, Eberhart will seek to fulfill that dream in a different position than originally expected for at least the next six months.
Oct 11, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during warmups prior to a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images Eberhart Switches Positions
Eberhart has moved from safety to wide receiver according to a report from Jeremy Werner of 247Sports.com.
Bielema plans to try out Eberhart at the position in hopes of adding size and ball skills to a wide receiver room in need of more options for new starting quarterback Katin Houser.
The move could be a "six-month lease" according to Bielema, giving the former high school safety a chance to excel at a new position.
Eberhart held offers from college football powers the Tennessee Volunteers, Alabama Crimson Tide, USC Trojans, Miami Hurricanes and Penn State Nittany Lions among other schools before choosing Bielema's team.
He was compared to Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn by 247Sports.com's Allen Trieu but will now spend his days learning an entirely new position in hopes of helping the Fighting Illini offense take the next step in a rugged Big Ten Conference.
Eberhart Joins Solid Receiving Corps
Eberhart will have a chance to learn from a solid group of teammates at the wide receiver position including returnees Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement, each of whom played 13 games for the Fighting Illini last season.
Dixon had 548 yards and five touchdowns while Clement had 454 yards and three touchdowns.
Transfer Jayshon Platt from Florida Atlantic will also provide Eberhart with plenty of inspiration as another productive target for Houser to throw to this season.
Platt had 46 catches for 720 yards and five touchdowns last season and is expected to be the team's big play threat.
Eberhart will also have the opportunity to compete against a talented Fighting Illini secondary including preseason All-Big Ten pick Xavier Scott each day in practice, which will assist him in the growth process.
Illinois has a system in place, and now the talented young freshman has his marching orders.
How things turn out will depend a lot on his work ethic, and the rapport he builds with Houser at the rest of his teammates in Champaign.
