Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-3vs Western Illinois | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0vs Western Michigan | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#42
Luke Zardzin
Senior linebacker for Illinois. 2025: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 225 lb · Mount Prospect, IL
Returning to Illinois for 2026
The numbers
5
tackles · 2025
2 games into 2025 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, vs Western Michigan
His career numbers, season by seasonLuke Zardzin
He has spent four seasons in the Illinois linebacker corps. The receipt: 3 tackles against Western Michigan — Week 3, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2021–2025
1 coach2021
Illinois
2023–2025
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Bret Bielema — 29-21 over that span.
2021Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th 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 splits
Through 2 games: 2.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Illinois
Returning around him
- 3 Illinois players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -7 net (20 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Illinois · Last season: 9-4 (AP #23) · Talent rank #51 · 2026 recruiting class #24
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology