Is Joe Barna starting?
Joe Barna is the projected starter at DE for Illinois Fighting Illini.
See full Illinois Fighting Illini depth chart ›The Story
Making His Case
A 3-star recruit out of Wheaton North, ranked #1,362 nationally coming out of high school. In 2025: 20 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks. That's 4% of the team's production at his spot — good for a 87 overall (Great tier).
- Jersey
- #43
- Class
- JR
- Height
- 6'4"
- Weight
- 265 lbs
Career Stats
| Season | Tkl | TFL | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | 15 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Regular-season totals from public sources. Derived splits (completion %, yards per carry, catch rate) aren't available in our current dataset.
Recruiting Profile
- Stars
- ★★★☆☆3-star
- Composite
- 0.8567
- National Rank
- #1362
- High School
- Wheaton North
- Hometown
- Wheaton, IL
Why this rating?
On a 83-rated defense; 70th-percentile production (×0.95 for competition level) put them +4 vs unit starters → 87.
2026 projection — based on SP+ (a respected team-efficiency metric; 2026 not published yet, using 2025), 2025 production, recruiting, and the 2026 transfer portal; capped to depth-chart order.
The People's Ratings
Team Role
Depth at DE · Illinois Fighting Illini
- 14387Joe BarnaStarter
- 21780Isaiah Thomison
- 35162Parker Crim
Overall ratings blend team strength (SP+), on-field production, and recruiting. Higher = more impactful.