CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) - Rick Renfro couldn't hold in the tears when his son, Jake, committed to Illinois in January of 2026. Rick Renfro played for the Illini in the 1980s, winning a Big Ten title in '83, and playing in the '84 Rose Bowl. AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementNow, Jake Renfro joins U of I football for his seventh and final year of college football, transferring in from Wisconsin. Rick says then-Illini head coach Lovie Smith recruited Jake, out of Mokena, Ill., a little bit in high school. "Coming back here has been really, really special."