Joel Boyd

Joel Boyd has been an editor in the Tribune sports department since 2009 after 14 years with the Sun-Times. He's currently a senior content editor with primary responsibility for college sports.

Lake Forest's Mac Uihlein (37) gets past Stevenson's Michael D'Angelo (3) on Oct. 19, 2018. Uihlein, a four-star linebacker prospect and the No. 3 recruit in Illinois, signed with Northwestern on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020.

College football early signing period recap: Notre Dame flips a 4-star running back from Michigan State and a 3-star safety from LSU

December 18, 2020 at 8:39 p.m.

College football's early signing period opened Wednesday and runs through Friday. As was the case the last three years after the early period was implemented, the vast majority of FBS...

Javon Wims: 5 things to know about the Chicago Bears wide receiver

November 2, 2020 at 11:17 a.m.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims was ejected in the third quarter of Sunday's game for punching New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. It wasn't the first on-field fight for...

Michigan linebacker Jordan Glasgow plays against Michigan State on Nov. 16, 2019, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

NFL draft tracker: 10 area and state players are selected, from St. Viator’s Cole Kmet to Marmion’s Jordan Glasgow

April 28, 2020 at 4:15 a.m.

The 2020 NFL draft is complete, and 10 players from Illinois high schools and colleges plus Notre Dame were selected, starting with former St. Viator and Irish tight end Cole...

Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa (94) chases Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson (2) on Oct. 5, 2019, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

NFL draft projections: A look at where 18 players from Illinois high schools and colleges and Notre Dame will be picked

April 17, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.

The 2020 NFL draft is set for April 23-25. Here's a look at where players from Illinois colleges plus Notre Dame, as well as alumni of Illinois high schools who...

DePaul coach Dave Leitao reacts to a call against Xavier in the first round of the Big East Tournament on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in New York.

Conference tournament tracker: DePaul gets its 1st Big East Tournament win in 6 years, 1 day before all remaining tournaments are canceled

March 13, 2020 at 4:46 a.m.

All of Division I college basketball's remaining conference tournaments were canceled Thursday because of the coronavirus pandemic. The DePaul and Notre Dame men won one game apiece before the cancellations,...

Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu drives against Northwestern on Feb. 27, 2020, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.

NCAA Tournament tracker: Illinois back up to a No. 6 seed in one projection, while the Big Ten is on track to get 10 bids

March 9, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Illinois is on course for its first NCAA Tournament invitation since 2013, and we're tracking the Illini's resume in key metrics while following updated projections of the field by renowned...

Northern Illinois football players pick up helmets for practice Sept. 11, 2019, in DeKalb, Ill.

National signing day recap: NIU and Illinois finish off their classes, plus area and national news and final class rankings

February 7, 2020 at 4:01 p.m.

College football's national signing period is underway. Check back here for updates on Illinois, Northern Illinois, Chicago-area recruits and national developments. (Northwestern and Notre Dame did not announce any additions...

Maine South offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, who signed with Northwestern in December, is the Wildcats' first five-star recruit signed out of high school.

How Northwestern, Illinois, Notre Dame and local recruits fared in the final football rankings, including NU’s 1st 5-star signee

January 29, 2020 at 4:10 p.m.

The three major college football recruiting services have finalized their Class of 2020 player rankings over the last two weeks, and for the first time Northwestern has a high school...

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald during a game against Iowa on Oct. 26, 2019, in Evanston.

Here’s how Northwestern, Illinois, Notre Dame and Northern Illinois did in college football’s early signing period

January 24, 2020 at 5:08 p.m.

We're tracking the early signing period in college football, which runs Wednesday through Friday. Check back for updates on Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Northern Illinois. Northwestern Dec. 20: Here's...

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) gestures while walking off the field with defensive back Jay Shaw (24) after a game against Washington State in Pullman, Wash., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.

5 things people are talking about after Week 4 in college football, including Michigan’s decline into Tennessee territory, Reggie Bush’s return to USC and the best game you (probably) didn’t see

September 23, 2019 at 4:40 p.m.

After a fairly underwhelming first three weeks of the season, we finally got a schedule of college football games that packed a punch. Georgia survived a top-10 battle with Notre...

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