Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#52
Pat Farrell
Junior defensive lineman on Illinois's 2026 roster.
6′5″ · 285 lb · Oak Lawn, IL · St. Rita
Returning to Illinois for 2026
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
4 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, vs UAB
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive lineman on Illinois's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2023.
Pat Farrell
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. This is his third year in the same defensive front at Illinois. The receipt: 3 tackles against UAB — Week 1, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of St. Rita
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Bret Bielema — 20-8 over that span.
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Illinois1-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
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: 2.0 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
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 42–23
vs UAB
3 TOT · 3 SOLO
With K. Houser — 182 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 98.9 · 29 rush yds (3 car) · 1 TD · C. Valentine — 88 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · 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
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Michael Kilbane’s 2024 season.
Matches Michael on
Height
Class year
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Michael Kilbane's sophomore season at Northwestern (2024).
78%match
Matches Michael on
Height
Weight
Sack rate
Differs from Michael on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Pat Farrell
Background
Pronunciation: FAIR-uhl 2026 Junior Attended the Uplifting Athletes Leadership Development Conference in Philadelphia 2025 Sophomore Academic All-Big Ten Played in all 13 games 11 tackles (three solo) with 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two pass breakups Tied for sixth on the team with 1.5...
The defensive line · Illinois
- #96Darrell Prater4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #17Isaiah Thomison3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #43Joe Barna2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #52Pat Farrell2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #90Carter Janki2 games · 2026
12 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology