Illinois Coach Brad Underwood Updates Injury Status of Swingman Ty Rodgers

Underwood says the Illini have no timeline for Rodgers' return from a knee injury, but he wouldn't rule out him missing the season

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ty Rodgers (20) works out during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Illinois has been coy about the health status of swingman Ty Rodgers, who suffered a seemingly significant knee injury back in June. That didn't change significantly on Monday when Illini coach Brad Underwood met with the media, but the picture did come into slightly sharper focus.

"We don't have any true time frame," Underwood said of Rodgers projected return. "We'll see – it's just a progression. We're not expecting him coming back real soon anytime from his knee, but that's up to the doctors and the trainers and how well he responds to certain things."

Mar 28, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ty Rodgers (20) dunks the ball over Iowa State Cyclones forward Robert Jones (12) in the semifinals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Where is Rodgers at in his recovery?

Impossible to say with much accuracy. The Illini aren't the first team to keep an injured player's status under wraps: In an effort to remove any additional pressure and outside noise from the situation as possible, coaches and staff often hold back information (particularly projected returns) from the public.

But Underwood on Monday revealed that Rodgers, a 6-foot-6 redshirt junior, is back on the floor and putting in basic work as part of his recovery plan.

"He's doing some light stuff in terms of shooting and doing some of that on the court," Underwood said. "But again, it's something that we'll leave completely up to our medical staff and trainers, and getting the knee back strong again is the most important thing so that we don't re-injure it. That takes a little bit of time. We'll just keep playing that by ear, and when he's ready, he's ready."

Is Rodgers out for the season?

Not necessarily. Underwood, not surprisingly, wouldn't commit even to a broader timeline for Rodgers' return – but that, in this case, is a good thing for both the player and team.

"I'm not completely saying he'll play and I'm not completely saying he won't play," Underwood said. "Again, that's something that's [dependent on] basically how his body responds."

It's possible, and maybe even likely, that we won't know for months if and when Rodgers will return in 2025-26. But the fact that the injury is significant enough to be potentially season-ending gives us some insight into what Illinois has to plan for.

Ty Rodgers playing point guard at Illinois has been brought up, and I don’t think he’s far from being a realistic option

Needs heavy repetitions and film while staying true to who he is as a player pic.twitter.com/8LCbqvsEk4

— ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) June 17, 2023

How the Illini move forward during Rodgers' absence

Rodgers' length, athleticism and skill set make him playable at three – maybe even four – positions. He is an explosive, tenacious rebounder who could play some 4 and create mismatches in a small lineup, and he was angling toward playing minutes at point guard before he was injured. You won't find many players with that kind of versatility, even in today's "position-less" game, let alone many with Rodgers' experience.

But the Illini have brought in Serbia's Mihailo Petrovic to lock down the point guard spot, and freshman Keaton Wagler has reportedly been putting in summer work as the backup there. Rodgers' true position – at either wing, really – will be filled by dynamic senior combo guard Kylan Boswell and high-scoring Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic. Illinois is a bit thin behind them (especially in light of Stojakovic's own recent, albeit less severe, knee injury), but it's uncertain precisely how Rodgers would have fit in if healthy.

Rodgers lacks shooting range (zero three-pointers in his college career) in an offense that is built on perimeter shooting and five-out principles, and his decision to redshirt last year very likely was due at least in part to the presence of a handful of wings who could stretch the floor. Will Underwood make concessions in the offense, or has Rodgers perhaps improved his shooting touch, to set him up for a significant role upon his return? As is the case for all things Rodgers right now, we'll just have to wait to find out.