Illinois Football 2026 Scouting Report: Defensive Lineman Joe Barna

With Gabe Jacas now in the NFL, the Illini need Barna to fill his shoes – or at least keep the defensive line afloat during a transition year

Sep 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Western Michigan Broncos quarterback Brady Jones (10) looks to pass as Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Joe Barna (43) defends during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2026 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of junior defensive end Joe Barna. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season.

Joe Barna | Defensive lineman | Junior | No. 43

Hometown: Wheaton, Illinois

High school: Wheaton North

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 280 pounds

Scouting report

Barna has the speed and explosiveness of a 3-4 linebacker in the physical package of a 4-3 defensive end. That more or less makes him an ideal fit in new Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck's 3-3-5 scheme, with the ability to move around along the Illini front based on game situations. As versatile as he is within that context, Barna is an upfield player who isn't likely to be dropped into coverage often.

He more or less apprenticed under former All-Big Ten linebacker and current New England Patriot Gabe Jacas, and Barna's game and physical profile have often been compared to those of Jacas. He plays with good leverage, has strong hands and is going to win most battles working upfield or even horizontally. As strong as he is, Barna isn't as effective anchoring down or neutralizing the kind of blocking he'll face in short-yardage situations as he is winning one-on-one battles and blowing by an opposing offensive lineman.

Experience

A former three-star in-state prospect, Barna is a poster boy for coach Bret Bielema's recruiting success at Illinois. Under Bielema, the Illini have leveled up on the field by developing talent, and Barna's steady rise is a testament to that improvement.

He played sporadically but earned some reps with the defense as a freshman, then became a valuable rotation player as a sophomore last season. He played in all 13 games in 2025, making his first career start against USC and, in the season-closing Music City Bowl, delivering a strip sack that was converted into a key defensive touchdown in Illinois' win over Tennessee (see video below).

Year	Team	Games	Tackles	TFL-Yds	Sacks	INTs	Pass breakups	Forced fumbles
2024	Illinois	10	16	1.5-6	1.5	0	0	0
2025	Illinois	13	20	2-25	2	0	2	1

Media highlights

What they're saying

Illinois defensive line coach Jordan Thomas on Barna:

“Joe is a guy who's TSD-certified: tough, smart, dependable. That's a guy that has a really high football IQ, extremely quick off the edge, savvy player that can go and make some good moves inside and outside. I'm excited about Joe."

2026 outlook

The training wheels are off for Barna, and the Illini need him to hit the ground, uh, pedaling. Shoulder surgery kept him out of spring ball and cost him a lot of reps in the new defense. But as Illinois' defensive coaches have emphasized more than once in the offseason, what the Illini did under Aaron Henry and what they'll do undere Hauck isn't as jarring a transition as some have speculated.

All's well that end's well, it seems. Barna healed up and got plenty of work in during the fall, and he started – and played well – in Illinois' 2026 opener against UAB. Asking him to replace Jacas might be a bit unfair, but the Illini need Barna to play like a borderline All-Big Ten performer in his own right and hold down the fort as the leader of a position group that will likely need some time to get its feet under it.