Illinois Football 2026 Scouting Report: Tight End Kaden Feagin

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 senior tight end Kaden Feagin. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season.

Kaden Feagin | Tight end | Senior | No. 83

Hometown: Atwood, Illinois

High school: Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 260 pounds

Scouting report

Feagin, who was recruited to Illinois as a running back and began last season as the Illini's starter at the position, finally outgrew the position. He had not only packed on weight (mostly muscle) year after year but had also suffered the injury consequences of being such a big target in the backfield. Despite being a productive runner when healthy, he made the decision in the offseason to move to tight end, which may help improve his resilience, longevity and potential as a pro prospect.

He has already proven himself to be a dangerous receiver (see his highlight against Minnesota below), but it remains to be seen whether Feagin can be a consistent and dynamic one at a new position. In just the passing game, he has had a lot to learn in terms of new alignments, techniques, route trees and responsibilities. But his combination of size, speed and power are rare, and his exposiveness in the open field and after first contact make him an extremely intriguing option for offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and transfer quarterback Katin Houser.

The area Feagin admits has presented the steepest learning curve – and which may ultimately decide his ceiling at his new position – is blocking. He has mentioned needing to improve in pass pro and to more consistently lower his pad level and plant his feet in blocking mode. Regularly taking on defensive ends at the point of attack will be difficult enough, but play-to-play consistency at a position that primarily (rather than occasionally) requires blocking will be a big mental challenge as well. The good news for Feagin and the Illini: He has the frame, strength and grit for the task.

Experience

Recent lore says that one of the reasons Feagin chose Illinois was because coach Bret Bielema swore he was a running back – not a linebacker, not a tight end – and demanded that no one in the program so much as suggest or leave open other possibilities. In his three years in the backfield in Champaign, Feagin showed flashes, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and was productive when healthy (4.4 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns in 284 carries across three seasons).

But Feagin, who was big for the position when he arrived as a freshman and eventually grew into one of the biggest backs in the country, was often sidelined or nicked up – particularly in his first couple seasons. In 2025, the presence of Aidan Laughery and emergence of Ca'Lil Valentine may have curtailed Feagin's opportunities a bit, but it seemed just as likely that the Illini were protecting him by using him more sparingly as part of a committee.

Year	Team	Games	Carries	Rushing yards	Rushing TDs	Catches	Receiving yards	Receiving TDs
2023	Illinois	9	95	438	2	9	116	1
2024	Illinois	5	67	306	3	5	37	0
2025	Illinois	13	122	507	7	16	188	2

Media highlights

What they're saying

Illinois tight ends coach Jared Elliott on Feagin's transition from running back to tight end:

"I think Kaden's gonna give us a lot of flexibility and the ability to use him from a creative standpoint because of his background playing in the backfield. He understands protections, he understands the run schemes, he has a big-picture understanding of our passing game. The transition has been really smooth. I've been really pleased."

2026 outlook

Feagin, assuming he can stay healthy, probably has the best chance of any player to finish the season with the most snaps of any Illini tight end. Christian Abney may earn some official starts – maybe even a lot of them – but the hope is that Feagin's blocking rates well enough to keep him on the field in most situations. (The early returns, according to the Illini coaching staff, have been excellent.)

What will be interesting to watch is all the ways Lunney may decide to deploy Feagin. In addition to lining up tight next to tackle, Feagin could be split out, line up in the backfield and perhaps even still take some carries. His experience at running back and within the offense provide additional value (even just given his potential as a situational weapon or decoy). But if he can be even just a serviceable blocker and marginally develop his route-running, Feagin could stay on the field and essentially inherit Hank Beatty's role as Weapon X in the Illini offense.

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