Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 5 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 48-10vs Southern Illinois | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#10
James Kreutz
Senior linebacker for Illinois. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 235 lb · Bannockburn, IL · Loyola Academy
CFB Index 30 · #461 of 583 LBsHigh confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
12
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 0.5 TFL, vs Southern Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Illinois. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2022.
James Kreutz
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. This is his fifth year in the same linebacker corps at Illinois. The receipt on tape: 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Duke, Week 2, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of Loyola Academy
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
James Kreutz's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 48–10
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +4 tackles, +0.5 tackles for loss, +1 pass breakup.
Season context · Team result + system
5 seasons under Bret Bielema — 34-20 over that span.
2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Illinois2-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Concern: solo tackles (21st percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Pass share
48.8%
81 pass / 85 run
Plays / game
55.3
3 games
Team sack rate
2.2%
91 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
30 · #461 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #461 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #63 of 72 Big Ten LBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
How he plays
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,774 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big Ten as a senior.
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jackson Wiegold’s 2024 season.
Matches Jackson on
Weight
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Differs from Jackson on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Jalen Woods's senior season at UCLA (2025).
Matches Jalen on
Solo tackle rate
Height
PD rate
Differs from Jalen on
Tackle volume (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like James Kreutz
Background
University of Illinois Graduate Pronunciation: krew-tz 2025 - Illinois Played in all 12 games with one start 29 total tackles (15 solo) with 3.5 tackles for loss and three pass breaksups on the season Tied for fifth on the team with 3.5 tackles for loss Three tackles (one solo) with a tackle…
The linebacker corps · Illinois
- #45Robert Edmonson47 tackles · 2025
- #24William Holmes45 tackles · 2025
- #10James Kreutz30 tackles · 2025
- #4Daniel Brown11 tackles · 2025
- #26Ismael Kante8 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology