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Illinois Football's Kaden Feagin to Move to Tight End in 2026: A Win-Win?

After playing running back for his first three years at Illinois, Feagin will move positions for his senior season
Jared Shlensky|
Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Kaden Feagin (3) is pursued by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Jett Elad (9) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Kaden Feagin (3) is pursued by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Jett Elad (9) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois senior Kaden Feagin's days as a running back are over. Illini coach Bret Bielema made the news official on Thursday during an offseason press conference – and, according to Bielema, the idea originated with Feagin himself.

Bielema addressed plenty of other topics during his press conference – injury updates, staff changes, coaches changing position groups, etc. – but Feagin moving to tight end was arguably the biggest topic of them all.

How Kaden Feagin fared at running back

Before we get into the details about Feagin's move to tight end, let's establish one thing: Feagin was a darned good running back, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Feagin scored a rushing touchdown in Illinois' first three games in 2025 and recorded a career-high 100 rushing yards against Western Michigan. Overall, he rushed for 507 yards and seven touchdowns, and collected 16 receptions for 188 yards and two scores.

Since he arrived in Champaign in 2023, Feagin has rushed for 1,251 yards and 12 touchdowns, and has 30 catches for 341 yards and two touchdowns. If you do the math, that's 4.4 yards a carry and 11.4 yards a catch.

Those are rock-solid numbers. Ca'Lil Valentine was the only running back from last year's team who received more carries than Feagin, which made this move at least somewhat unexpected.

Why Kaden Feagin's move to tight end is a surprise

Feagin has played running back his entire college career, so a position switch in his final college season is a significant ask. As loaded as the Illini were at running back in 2025 – Aidan Laughery, who began the season as starter, is another gifted runner – a position change for Feagin might have made more sense a year ago. The move itself is fine. It's the timing that is a bit puzzling.

Feagin seems perfectly capable of transitioning to tight end. He has the size, speed and overall athleticism of a No. 1 tight end. And with Laughery and Valentine returning in 2026, the Illini have two starter-caliber players to carry the load at running back. Still, not using Feagin at all as a running back – or even as a fullback – would be a missed opportunity.

I'd like to see Illinois use Feagin kind of like the New Orleans Saints use Taysom Hill. Feagin doesn't have to drop back and pass, but why not use him as a Wildcat-style quarterback or the player under center for sneaks and other short-yardage scenarios? And why not continue to deploy him, at least occasionally, as you did before? He's excelled in the role, so don't get rid of it altogether.

Who knows? Maybe the Illini already have this in mind. (Tight end Jordan Anderson had nine carries and even scored a touchdown as a runner in 2025.) For now, we'll just have to wait and see what Illinois has in store for turning Feagin loose.

What to expect from Kaden Feagin at tight end

I expect Feagin to be utilized in many ways – on the line, off the ball, in the slot, etc. – but expect some bumps in the road as well. He has played running back his entire life. Expecting him to dominate at a new position right off the bat is simply unrealistic.

Feagin falls a little short of prototypical size for a Big Ten tight end, but his overall athleticism and a likely emphasis on his usage in the passing game should make the transition a little easier. We don't have a lot of evidence of his ability (or lack thereof) as a downfield route runner or receiver, but Feagin can be a dangerous weapon when he is put in space and the ball is thrown on target.

It could be that the position switch, at least in part, is being made to give Feagin a better shot at a pro career. Given his profile, he is more likely to make it in the NFL as a tight end than as a running back. Feagin has good top-end speed but lacks initial burst and shiftiness, and makes for a big tackling target. That isn't an ideal mix for producing and staying healthy as an NFL back.

Feagin's best shot at making it in the NFL could be at fullback or a hybrid H-back role. But pro teams don't incorporate fullback much into modern offenses, so moving Feagin to tight end now helps fill a hole for the Illini and arguably gives him the best chance to continue his playing career.

With East Carolina transfer Katin Houser expected to start at quarterback in 2026, an athletic tight end who can pick up yards after the catch could be a major bonus. There's an old football saying: A quarterback's best friend is his tight end. Maybe that will be the case with Houser and Feagin.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster.

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