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Illinois Football Lands Another Australian Punter in Jack Gray: How He Fits

The Illini picked up their latest kick specialist from Down Under in Gray, who committed to Bret Bielema's program on Thursday
Jared Shlensky|
Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Illinois head coach Bret Bielema speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Illinois head coach Bret Bielema speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois coach Bret Bielema's 2026 recruiting class is already ranked top 25 nationally, and after landing Australian punter Jack Gray on Thursday, the Illini prospect haul just got another boost.

If the whole Australian-kick-specialist-in-an-Illini-uniform thing sounds familiar to you, well ... it should by now. Illinois has carried an Australia-born punter on its roster since Blake Hayes arrived in Champaign in 2017. Hugh Robertson, who followed Hayes, had been the Illini punter for the past three years. Now Purdue transfer Keelan Crimmins – also from Australia – is expected to be Illinois' No. 1 punter in 2025.

Gray is an unranked recruit who, frankly, wasn't exactly going to make Nasir Rankin-like waves with his commitment. But kick specialists are vital members of any successful football team, and Gray could be a key to Illinois' success down the road.

How Jack Gray fits at Illinois

Gray, who is reportedly expected to arrive at Illinois in January, will make his entrance at the bottom of the depth chart. Crimmins is listed as a senior, but he has burned only two years of eligibility, so he could very well return to Champaign in 2026. After Crimmins was named to the All-Big Ten team at Purdue last year, he's a lock to be Illinois' preferred punter this coming season – and likely until next year, if that's what he wants.

Even if Crimmins doesn't return next season, Wake Forest transfer Lars Rau probably would have the upper hand as the successor in the role. Rau was the starting punter at Texas State last year and still has three years of eligibility remaining. With multiple specialists who already possess in-game college experience expected to remain on the roster a year from now, Gray will likely find himself on a developmental path in the early years of his Illinois career. A redshirt freshman season is possible, but in any case, don't expect Gray to get much (if any) immediate playing time.

Bielema and his staff have done an excellent job of getting the most out of their kickers and punters, so with patience, Gray should eventually earn his chances at game reps with the Illini – even if it's a year or two down the road.

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USA Today Coaches Poll: Where Illinois Football and 2025 Opponents Rank

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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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