Darren McFadden’s Son Diesel Announces Visit to Illinois

Darren McFadden was one of the best running backs in college football during the mid-2000s. Now, his son is looking to make his mark.

Diesel McFadden, a high school football player who is coming off his freshman season, announced on twitter that he will visit Illinois. The running back and linebacker still has three years until he graduates from William Taft High School in Chicago in 2026, but he seems ready to take college visits, starting with a local Big Ten program.

The Fighting Illini offer an interesting possibility for Diesel McFadden as they are coached by Brett Bielema, who also coached Darren’s alma mater, Arkansas. While McFadden had graduated by the time Bielema was hired, there is that mutual experience in being Razorbacks.

When he was a college player, Darren McFadden dominated the SEC. He spent three seasons with Arkansas, surpassing 1,000 yard rushing and 10 touchdowns each year, which included back-to-back Heisman Trophy runner-up finishes in 2006 and ’07.

The running back was drafted No. 4 in 2008 by the Raiders, but was never able to replicate his dominance in the NFL, though he did spend a decade in the pros. Now, it’s his son’s turn to try.