Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Defensive Back Kaleb Patterson

Patterson, a returning starter, will be aiming to build off a solid 2024 campaign

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Oscar Adaway III (27) makes the catch against Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Kaleb Patterson (22) in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2025 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of Illini junior defensive back Kaleb Patterson. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players by searching in your favorite browser or clicking in our projected depth chart – coming soon.

Kaleb Patterson | Defensive Back | Junior | No. 1

Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi

High school: Terry

Transfer schools: Pearl River Community College

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 190 pounds

Preseason honors: Athlon preseason All-Big Ten fourth team

Scouting report

Patterson is a rangy, physical cornerback whose game is built on discipline, toughness and athletic fluidity. At 6-foot-1, he has the length to disrupt passing lanes and the strength to match up with bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage. He has a background as a track hurdler, which shows in his burst and recovery speed, allowing him to close gaps quickly in both man and zone coverage.

What sets Patterson apart is his dependable technique and willingness to play through contact. He’s comfortable pressing at the line, flipping his hips to run with deep threats and staying attached through the catch point. In run support, he’s aggressive and unafraid to take on blockers, showing a knack for setting the edge from the corner spot. The Mississippi native's all-around skill set makes him a potential difference-maker for a program that has a knack for developing NFL-caliber defensive backs.

Experience

Patterson began his college career at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi, where he earned first-team All-MACCC honors and was ranked among the top junior college defensive backs in the nation. He transferred to Illinois ahead of the 2023 season, redshirting a year before earning a starting role in 2024.

Primarily tasked with locking down perimeter threats, Patterson recorded 31 tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two pass breakups last season, earning an elite 88.6 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus – fifth-best among all cornerbacks in the nation.

Year	Team	Games	Tackles	TFL-Yds	Sacks	INTs	Pass breakups	Forced fumbles
2024	Illinois	12	31	2-4	0	0	2	1
2023	Illinois	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
2022	Pearl River CC	9	12	N/A	N/A	N/A	4	2

Media highlights

Still thinking about this individual effort by Kaleb Patterson. Winning plays. pic.twitter.com/bBYADOI2aa

— The Field Pass (@TheFieldPass) September 8, 2024

What they're saying

"We are all able to play off each other. If I do something, Zay [Xavier Scott] can correct it, or if Zay does something, I can correct it and Miles [Scott] kind of goes off of us. We all play off each other's strengths and weaknesses, and see what each other are able to do and make plays," Patterson said of the Illini defensive backs' continuity.

2025 outlook

Patterson is locked in as one of Illinois’ top defensive backs entering the season, and with his combination of length, physicality and experience, that role isn’t expected to change. The Illini are counting on him to help anchor the outside in a secondary that will face some of the Big Ten’s most dynamic passing attacks – including the best receiver in the country in Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith. If Patterson continues to bring the same consistency and competitiveness he has shown, he could be one of the conference’s more reliable cover men in 2025.

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