October 23, 2026 | Football
News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Former Illini All-American Jer'Zhan Newton will serve as the Fighting Illini's honorary captain for Saturday's game against Oregon at Gies Memorial Stadium. Newton will be the Illini's first honorary captain that played under Illinois head coach Bret Bielema.
Newton's long list of college football accolades included being named a two-time All-American, a finalist for the 2023 Nagurski Trophy, the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and a semifinalist for both the Outland and Bednarik awards. As a senior in 2023, he was named the 22nd Consensus All-American in program history.
Newton led Power-5 defensive tackles in quarterback pressures for two straight seasons, according to PFF, and led Big Ten defensive tackles in sacks with 7.5 as a senior. Over his junior and senior seasons, Newton totaled 103 quarterback pressures, the most in the nation among defensive tackles, 114 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 13.0 sacks. He left Champaign with the fifth-most sacks in program history (18.0).
Newton is in his third season in the NFL for the Washington Commanders. He is currently on Washington's reserve/injured list after totaling 80 tackles in 33 games during his first two seasons in the league.
