There's a lot of news each day. Illini Inquirer will try to make it easier to digest each weekday morning with the Daily Digest.

Bret Bielema has continually said Illinois will be a development program. That likely includes most of his freshmen redshirting, so the players and Illini can maximize their time and development in college. But a few Illini freshmen have made an early impact during the Illini’s first two games — and more could see the field as the season goes along.

Only four freshmen have played in both games so far for Illinois (1-1).

Other Illini freshmen who have played

True freshmen yet to play

Why it matters: Illinois has an older team — thanks in part due to the extra year of COVID eligibility — so it does not need to rely on freshmen nor put freshmen in before they’re ready. Most likely, only a handful of freshmen will not redshirt with Jacas, Beatty, Bailey and Kreutz as likely true sophomores next season, and Laughery seems to have a chance to find a role in the running back rotation after a “soft-tissue” injury limited him during the first two weeks of the season.

What's next: Illinois (1-1) hosts Virginia (1-0) for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff Saturday (ESPNU) at Memorial Stadium. Illinois currently is a 4.5-point favorite over Virginia, which beat the Illini 42-14 last season in Charlottesville.

Illinois football announced several football game-day changes on Monday in an attempt “to improve patron experiences.” The announcement came after fans experienced long lines — up to 30 minutes — to enter the stadium and long lines at concession stands.

The seven scholarship Illinois basketball newcomers will take part in a meet-and-greet in Grange Grove on Saturday before the Illini football game against Virginia.

Why it matters: This is the power of NIL, and it should be a popular event — and hence a profitable event for the players — given the pull of Illinois basketball.

Illini freshman wide receiver Shawn Miller is out for the season due to an unspecified injury, head coach Bret Bielema announced on Monday. Miller will have season-ending surgery and played two snaps in the Week Zero win against Wyoming.

Bielema said: “Unfortunately he won’t be with us the rest of this year. He’ll have surgery that will be a season-ending deal. They haven’t nailed down exactly how it’s at but it’s obviously something that will take him out for the rest of this year.”

What it means: Miller would have been a nice depth piece to the offense but the emergence of Brian Hightower and Pat Bryant — along with Casey Washington — has Illinois more confident in its wide receiver group and how they complement star Isaiah Williams. Miller likely would have been in the rotation as a true freshman, but his season was derailed by injury.

Miller’s mother, Melissa Miller-Cisneros, tweeted: “Tough for our family to process initially since Shawn had done everything in his power to enroll early & have an amazing spring. He came back from a broken collarbone diving for a ball. To be 1 of 3 freshman to make it in the 2 deep. He got in the 1st game 2nd qtr.

“Anytime you are a freshman able to make your way on the field is a huge accomplishment that we are so proud of him for. We are extremely hopeful for his future as overcoming adversity is what we do. This option to have surgery is long term investment-he will redshirt Thank you”

The Big Ten now has two of the top-four teams in the country, according to the latest AP Top 25. Michigan rose four spots to No. 4 in this week’s AP poll following a 51-7 rout of Colorado State.

Big Ten teams in AP Top 25

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Illinois basketball’s official Twitter account posted new photos of the under-renovation Ubben Basketball Complex. The project is not expected to be fully completed until mid-October, but the practice courts, locker rooms and training areas will be done in the coming weeks so the men’s and women’s teams can practice at Ubben when practice officially begins.

Have a great Wednesday! Can you still have Bear weather in a dome?

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