2026 Season Prediction

[Burgers]

I think next year's team could be better than this year's. I have high hopes for Hecklinski, and I don't see us losing much on defense that isn't replaceable. Sure, a lot of those seniors are solid / talented, but I don't think any of them are projected to be drafted in the first 3 rounds. For example, Llewellyn and Hurkett were very good DEs, but a combination of Epenesa, Allen, and Merrieweather ought to be a capable replacement.

The schedule could be pretty tough though. 5 Big Ten road games along with Ohio State at home would make going 5-4 in the Big Ten a decent accomplishment.

Another season where 8-4 is likely, plus or minus a couple wins depending on how the ball bounces.

 

[Hawk4Ever!]

Thought this would be a 4-8 team, but Gronk, turned it into a 8-4 team. He had some help facing some surprisingly bad B10 teams that canned their coaches. While facing, what? 5 scrubby back-up qbs,in one season. Helpful.

2026 w/o Gronk:

NIU- Beat ND in South Bend, can certainly win at Iowa. Could be a North Dakota St embarrassment or a South Dakota St near disaster ... let's go Hawks 9-7 W

ISU - New coach doesn't play Campbell/KF stall ball ... new Clones 24-23 on 54 yd walk-off FG L

UNI - Hawks outplayed all game block 3 FG's in final seconds ... Hawks 18-16 W

@ ILL - Big Bert passed his gas this year but on the road ... Fat boy 13-10 L

OSU - It won't be 54-10 like two years ago .... Bucks 45-13 L

NEB - Unless Huskers have an interim felon HC and a grad assistant calling play like in win at Kinnick in 2022 ... Hawks 30-21 W

WIS - The once a year Hawk good times blowout .... Hawks 40 Whiskey 6 W

@ WAS - West coast, good qb, good receivers, you know the drill .... Dawgs 38-17 L

PUR - Good thing that L'ville coach KF couldn't beat is gone ... Hawks 27-25 W

MIC - The return to the Big House, Wolves kicked Hawks asses 52-10 or something real bad ... Wolves 35-10 L

@Min - Rowing the boat to Minny, need a close, ugly one, Hawk style ... Gophs 15-11 L

NOR - Always an ugly one .... Hawks 5-3 W

 

[eyesofhawk]

0-0

 

[JerseyCityHawk]

@EvilMonkeyInTheCloset NATTY ALL THE WAY

 

[rchawk]

Bet some posters are changing their ISU pick as we speak.

Bet some clown posters are changing their ISU pick as we speak.

 

[UIAlumFireFighter]

9-3 or 8-4. Miss the playoffs but we're still happy b/c we're not Nebraska.

 

[CRHAWK]

What, season predictions!!!! You dont even know if we will lose anymore players, if Wetjen might be back, and if we strike out in the portal. I will read your predictions and see what I think.

We most likely lose to OSU at @ Mich. At Wash will be tough if they still have that fast, shiftly QB who can throw it. Yes we should win the 3 non conf games

Altmeyer is gone iirc so I think we can win at Illinois and we have most every other teams number so I say 9-3 is possible but another 8-4 is also. Caveat, will we have a better passing game and can we reload on the DLine

How can Wetjen come back? I thought he was a senior

 

[WeBeHerkin]

For 2026 I project ****** concessions and long lines for the restrooms.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

How can Wetjen come back? I thought he was a senior

He played in JUCO for a year, which Vandy QB got a year this year while his case was in process as he played at that level also. A bunch of guys did and court case is pending. I think they will win it.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

Thought this would be a 4-8 team, but Gronk, turned it into a 8-4 team. He had some help facing some surprisingly bad B10 teams that canned their coaches. While facing, what? 5 scrubby back-up qbs,in one season. Helpful.

2026 w/o Gronk:

NIU- Beat ND in South Bend, can certainly win at Iowa. Could be a North Dakota St embarrassment or a South Dakota St near disaster ... let's go Hawks 9-7 W

ISU - New coach doesn't play Campbell/KF stall ball ... new Clones 24-23 on 54 yd walk-off FG L

UNI - Hawks outplayed all game block 3 FG's in final seconds ... Hawks 18-16 W

@ ILL - Big Bert passed his gas this year but on the road ... Fat boy 13-10 L

OSU - It won't be 54-10 like two years ago .... Bucks 45-13 L

NEB - Unless Huskers have an interim felon HC and a grad assistant calling play like in win at Kinnick in 2022 ... Hawks 30-21 W

WIS - The once a year Hawk good times blowout .... Hawks 40 Whiskey 6 W

@ WAS - West coast, good qb, good receivers, you know the drill .... Dawgs 38-17 L

PUR - Good thing that L'ville coach KF couldn't beat is gone ... Hawks 27-25 W

MIC - The return to the Big House, Wolves kicked Hawks asses 52-10 or something real bad ... Wolves 35-10 L

@Min - Rowing the boat to Minny, need a close, ugly one, Hawk style ... Gophs 15-11 L

NOR - Always an ugly one .... Hawks 5-3 W

NIU is not the NIU that beat Notre Dame, lol.

Go back to your Huskers

 

[kmurpny]

If ISU retains Becht and most of their other players, they likely will win again.

 

[Hawk4Ever!]

NIU is not the NIU that beat Notre Dame, lol.

Go back to your Huskers

Of course, it isn't. Where does KF come up with these OOC games. Play Notre Dame, they are desperate. 27 years of BS boring games, come on KF, you are not going to get canned, play somebody! Have some fun for once. No one cares anymore.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

Of course, it isn't. Where does KF come up with these OOC games. Play Notre Dame, they are desperate. 27 years of BS boring games, come on KF, you are not going to get canned, play somebody! Have some fun for once. No one cares anymore.

CFP says different. Texas paid a price for doing that.

 

[BunchofAholes]

Thought this would be a 4-8 team, but Gronk, turned it into a 8-4 team. He had some help facing some surprisingly bad B10 teams that canned their coaches. While facing, what? 5 scrubby back-up qbs,in one season. Helpful.

2026 w/o Gronk:

NIU- Beat ND in South Bend, can certainly win at Iowa. Could be a North Dakota St embarrassment or a South Dakota St near disaster ... let's go Hawks 9-7 W

ISU - New coach doesn't play Campbell/KF stall ball ... new Clones 24-23 on 54 yd walk-off FG L

UNI - Hawks outplayed all game block 3 FG's in final seconds ... Hawks 18-16 W

@ ILL - Big Bert passed his gas this year but on the road ... Fat boy 13-10 L

OSU - It won't be 54-10 like two years ago .... Bucks 45-13 L

NEB - Unless Huskers have an interim felon HC and a grad assistant calling play like in win at Kinnick in 2022 ... Hawks 30-21 W

WIS - The once a year Hawk good times blowout .... Hawks 40 Whiskey 6 W

@ WAS - West coast, good qb, good receivers, you know the drill .... Dawgs 38-17 L

PUR - Good thing that L'ville coach KF couldn't beat is gone ... Hawks 27-25 W

MIC - The return to the Big House, Wolves kicked Hawks asses 52-10 or something real bad ... Wolves 35-10 L

@Min - Rowing the boat to Minny, need a close, ugly one, Hawk style ... Gophs 15-11 L

NOR - Always an ugly one .... Hawks 5-3 W

You're not fooling anybody. Give it a rest.

 

[uihawk82]

Wash is on the upswing...that QB is dynamic.
OSU will lose a lot of defenders but Sayin and Smith will be hard to stop.
Mich QB Underwood will get better as soph.

Getting one of those three games would be a bonus.
Our o- line probably wins the Moore award..we lose 3 all- league guys....growing pains in line are likely...too early to speculate really but the off-season is so long so what else can we

How can Wetjen come back? I thought he was a senior

I have read on this forum others saying there is some legal item going on about junior college players getting extra eligibility. Link below with this "On Wednesday, a federal judge granted four West Virginia football players extra eligibility to play for the Mountaineers this season, ruling that the years they played in JUCO shouldn’t count toward NCAA eligibility. " I think Wetjen can make an nfl roster right now but but if he wants to show his slot receiver ability more then he might come back. Gill and one other smaller type receiver are gone so Wetjen might get more targets and become the next Amendola etc

Courts Lean Toward Striking NCAA JUCO Eligibility Restrictions

A federal judge on Wednesday granted four West Virginia football players extra eligibility to play this season.

frontofficesports.com

 

[HawksRule73]

I have read on this forum others saying there is some legal item going on about junior college players getting extra eligibility. Link below with this "On Wednesday, a federal judge granted four West Virginia football players extra eligibility to play for the Mountaineers this season, ruling that the years they played in JUCO shouldn’t count toward NCAA eligibility. " I think Wetjen can make an nfl roster right now but but if he wants to show his slot receiver ability more then he might come back. Gill and one other smaller type receiver are gone so Wetjen might get more targets and become the next Amendola etc

Courts Lean Toward Striking NCAA JUCO Eligibility Restrictions

A federal judge on Wednesday granted four West Virginia football players extra eligibility to play this season.

frontofficesports.com

He might be able to make an NFL roster, making whatever the minimum is these days. I'm guessing we could offer more in NIL for him to come back than he'd make as a 7th round or UFA.

 

[oldxbbc]

9-3

 

[AnonymousNolonger]

If ISU retains Becht and most of their other players, they likely will win again.

They won’t

 

[geauxhawks402]

10-2. I think our Ls are Ohio St and Washington. The coaching hire at Michigan is critical to this. If they hire a band-aid fix for a year or two, I think we win. If they hit a home run and bring all of that talent together, it will be a tough one to pick for us. Also, if Jedd Fisch goes to Michigan, I would flip the Washington game to us. That said, I really like what we have in terms of talent, experience and depth.

 

[squeezebox_1]

This offseason is shaping up quite nicely for the hawks. We will see what happens to both Michigan and ISU, but that is coming.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

This offseason is shaping up quite nicely for the hawks. We will see what happens to both Michigan and ISU, but that is coming.

Looks like Michigan AD may be in some trouble with the Regents

 

[MAXIMUSHAWKEYE]

Wash is on the upswing...that QB is dynamic.
OSU will lose a lot of defenders but Sayin and Smith will be hard to stop.
Mich QB Underwood will get better as soph.

Getting one of those three games would be a bonus.
Our o- line probably wins the Moore award..we lose 3 all- league guys....growing pains in line are likely...too early to speculate really but the off-season is so long so what else can we do?

OSU gets all the 4 and 5 stars and reload with top talent thru the portal. They are always in title contention and the coach will get fired when they don't. I detest OSU. I wish they were in the SEC.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

Is Ruggerio gonna stick around for another season?