2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 17
Gabe Jacas
- Position:
- OLB
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 270
- Major:
- Community Health
- Hometown:
- Port St. Lucie, Fla.
- High School:
- Fort Pierce Central
Pronunciation: ACK-us
 2025 Phil Steele All-America Fourth Team |
| 2024 Phil Steele All-America Third Team |
| 2022 Freshman All-American |
 Three-Time All-Big Ten |
2025 Senior
- Team captain
- Phil Steele All-America Fourth Team
- All-Big Ten First Team (media) and Second Team (coaches and AP)
- Led the Big Ten 11.0 sacks, sixth in the nation, during the regular season
- Tied for 13th nationally (third in Big Ten) in forced fumbles (3)
- Seven career forced fumbles, tied for sixth in Illinois career record book
- 27.0 career sacks are the most among active Big Ten defenders (5th nationally in FBS) and second in Illinois program history
- Started all 12 regular season games
- 43 total tackles (23 solo) with 13.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, six quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, and one pass breakup during the regular season
- Four tackles (two solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two QB hurries in rivalry win vs. Northwestern (11/29/25)
- Season-high six tackles (four solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and a QB hurry at Wisconsin (11/22/25)
- Two tackles with a half sack in win vs. Maryland (11/15/25)
- Four tackles (three solo) with 2.0 sacks in win vs. Rutgers (11/1/25)
- Three tackles with a half sack in rivalry win at Purdue (10/4/25)
- Four tackles (one solo) with a half sack in win vs. #21 USC (9/27/25)
- A half sack and a QB hurry in win vs. Western Michigan (9/13/25)
- One sack in win at Duke (9/6/25)
- Team-leading 5.0 tackles (four solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks, with a forced fumble in Week 1 victory vs. Western Illinois (8/29/25)
- ESPN Preseason All-American
- Athlon Preseason All-America Third Team
- Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List
- Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten First Team
- Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten First Team
- No. 20 overall player in college football according to CBS.com's spring rankings
- No. 2 in the Big Ten in sacks among returners (8.0), behind only Oregon's Matayo Uiagalelei (10.5)
2024 Junior
- Phil Steele All-America Third Team
- All-Big Ten Third Team (Coaches and Media)
- Started all 13 games at outside linebacker
- 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery on the season
- 41 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in six games against ranked teams
- Finished the regular season top-25 nationally in forced fumbles (t-21st, 3) and sacks (t-24th, 8.0)
- Tied for the Big Ten lead in forced fumbles and ranked fifth in sacks during the regular season
- Tied for the second-most sacks in Big Ten games (7.0)
- Finished the season ranked ninth in Illinois history in career sacks (16.0)
- Led the team in tackles for loss (13.0), sacks (8.0), and quarterback hurries (10)
- Ranked second on the team in tackles (74)
- Career-high 3.0 tackles for loss and eight tackles in Illinois' Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win over #14 South Carolina (12/31/24)
- Career-high 13 tackles (six solo) with a career-high 2.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for a loss, two QB hurries, and fourth-career forced fumble against #24 Michigan (10/19/24)
- Eight tackles (four solo, four assisted) against #9 Penn State (9/28/24)
- Third career forced fumble against #22 Nebraska (9/20/24)
- Second career forced fumble against Central Michigan (9/14/24)
- 2025 Senior Bowl Watch List
2023 Sophomore
- Played in all 12 games with 10 starts (9 at outside linebackers, 1 at defensive line)
- Recorded 2.0 sacks, including a third-down stop in overtime that forced an Indiana field goal and set up the Illini’s opportunity for a game-winning TD in the 48-45 win
- Season-most five tackles (all solo) at Purdue (9/30/23)
- Notched first sack of 2023 season (fifth of career) vs. #7 Penn State (9/16/23)
- Only returning Big Ten West player that earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors in 2022
- Ranked #69 on The Athletic's Freaks List
- Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team
- Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team
2022 Freshman
- FWAA Freshman All-American, the second in Illinois history (Akeem Spence) and the first ever Illini true freshman to earn the honor
- ESPN True Freshman All-American
- 247Sports True Freshman All-American
- College Football News True Freshman All-American
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
- Illinois’ Rookie of the Year Award winner
- Played in all 13 games as a true freshman with eight starts at outside linebacker
- 35 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, and five quarterback hurries on the season
- No. 2 in Illinois history in sacks by a true freshman behind only Simeon Rice
- Tied for 12th in the nation in quarterback hits (13), according to PFF
- Tied for the national lead in quarterback hits among freshman (13), according to PFF
- Fourth on the team in sacks (4.0)
- Fifth on the team in TFLs (5.0)
- Career highs in sacks (2.0) and TFLs (2.0) against Virginia 9/10/22
- Career-high and team-high eight tackles, including 1.0 sack, against Chattanooga 9/22/22
- 247Sports Midseason True Freshman All-American
- The Athletic Midseason Freshman All-American
- On3 Midseason True Freshman All-American
- 2.0 sacks vs. Virginia, the first Illini true freshman with 2.0 sacks in a game since Bobby Roundtree vs. Western Kentucky in 2017
High School
- Three-star recruit by 247Sports, On3, and Rivals
- Position ranks: #60 (247), #70 (On3)
- State ranks: #116 (On3), #135 (247)
- Played for head coach Mike Watkins at Fort Pierce Central
- State champion and all-state wrestler
- 2021-22 TCPalm Male Athlete of the Year
- Offers included Georgia Southern, FIU, Mississippi State, South Florida, Tennessee, and Tulane
Personal
- Born May 27, 2004
- Brother, Khaliq, played football at FIU
- Majoring in community health
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 05
Wednesday, January 21
