The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Turn Attention to Illinois as Game Week Arrives
8/31/2026 6:30:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After months of offseason work and a training camp spent assembling a roster filled with new faces, UAB football has officially turned its attention to Illinois.
The Blazers began preparations for Thursday night's season opener with practice Saturday, while head coach Alex Mortensen held his first weekly press conference of the 2026 season Monday alongside Redshirt Junior Quarterback Ryder Burton, Redshirt Junior Linebacker Ike Esonwune, Senior Kicker Jonah Delange and Redshirt Senior Defensive Lineman Noah Nelson.
"Finally, we're in season. We're excited to get going," Mortensen said. "I think we've had a good training camp. We've put a lot of work in, going all the way back to last winter, spring, summer and fall camp."
With a roster featuring numerous newcomers, much of that work has centered on bringing the Blazers together on and off the field while establishing the expectations of Mortensen's program.
"It's been fun getting to work to bring them together, both from a camaraderie standpoint but also from a football standpoint," Mortensen said. "This is our first year in the program, so [we're] really excited to continue to work to get our guys to understand our standard and our expectation of how we do things."
That work will be put to the test Thursday against an Illinois team that presents plenty of challenges and unknowns. Mortensen noted that season openers have become increasingly difficult to prepare for as coaches study film of transfers playing in different schemes at their previous schools.
"Our challenge to our guys, like it will be most weeks, is to make it about us," Mortensen said. "Obviously, we have to study our opponent and do a great job preparing for them and then adapting as the game goes on. But first and foremost, we need to prepare in a manner in which we make sure we're controlling the things we can control, to the best of our ability."
Burton echoed that confidence while acknowledging the challenge awaiting UAB in Champaign.
"We respect them. They have a lot of really good pieces, for sure," Burton said. "But we expect to win every time we play. That's the kind of mindset you have to carry going into these games." Mortensen praised Burton's development throughout the offseason, particularly his command of the offense. "He is very intense in his preparation," Mortensen said. "He's wanted to own every aspect of the offense- learning fronts, learning coverages, learning the run game, learning protections, understanding our passing game. He's really tried to master all of it...One of the guys I used to work with used to say, 'You want a quarterback to have the game of a player but the mind of a coach.' I think he really embodies that."
On the other side of the ball, UAB enters the season with a dramatically reshaped defense under coordinator Todd Grantham. Mortensen said the group has provided stiff competition throughout camp.
"There's really been some iron sharpening iron there, where it's been very competitive every day," Mortensen said. "It's a hardworking group. They're tough. They've been competitive. They love football. They bring enthusiasm every day." For Nelson and Esonwune, developing chemistry among the newcomers has been an important part of preparing the defense for its first test. "Everyone knows each other's voice now because we talk outside of the facility," Nelson said. "To play with them and joke with them ... really helps on the field, and it helps us move a little bit faster."
Esonwune pointed to the same emphasis on becoming one unit. "It's not just [one], it's 11," Esonwune said. "Learning how all of us can play as one is the big thing."
The Blazers also return an established piece on special teams in Delange, who Mortensen called "a really good player" and praised for his consistency. For Delange, performing in pressure situations comes down to trusting the preparation that preceded them. "It's really just being able to trust what you've done in the offseason," Delange said. "I feel like [it's] just really working on it every day, trying to be consistent every single day, showing up the same to where you can just show up on game day and it's just like a regular practice."
After an offseason spent building the roster and establishing a new standard, Mortensen knows Thursday will provide the first true evaluation of where the Blazers stand. "I think seeing how we respond and handle those things is important," Mortensen said, "and seeing if guys also have the discipline to do their job, play within themselves and not try to be something they're not."
UAB and Illinois are set to open the season on Thursday night with an 8 pm kickoff on the Big Ten Network.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH COACH MORTENSEN
Q: The running back situation has been pretty competitive during fall camp. You've got three guys bracketed there at the top of the depth chart. How competitive has that been, and how good do you feel about that room right now?
Mortensen: "I feel very good about our running back room. I think we've got a lot of depth there, a lot of guys that can help us and a lot of guys that can play. Really, there are three guys that are a little bit older: Rod Robinson, Bam McReynolds and then Ja'Vin Simpkins, and then also Jayson Moll is a young guy that I think can help us this year. So we do think that room is deep and talented.
"And really, it's been competitive, but if you even go back to our time in Alabama, we've always played a lot of backs, and we're kind of used to doing it by committee. And I think that can help them. And also, we have ways to get them in the game, more in the game at one time, too. So, we really do like the room there. They've done a good job."
Q: With Kaleb Brown, is he where you want him to be health-wise after the spring injury? And when he is in there, what does he bring to you guys?
Mortensen: "Kaleb is really coming back in a really good way from a health standpoint. We'll continue to monitor him as we get to game day. But we expect him to be able to help us. And I think we've got enough depth in the room, too, to be able to play a lot of players at receiver.
"Kaleb brings a lot to the table because he's been here a year. He knows our offense. And I think he and our quarterbacks have good chemistry because they've had, despite him missing some time here, they've got a history of throwing to him. So, just understanding his body language, the timing, anticipation — I think there are a lot of good things there. Kaleb is a good competitor that also has a good amount of poise to him, too. No moment is really ever too big for him. So, really, have a lot of confidence in him if he's healthy and ready to go."
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a coach, and when did you begin to think, "Someday I'd like to be a head coach?"
Mortensen: "I think pretty early I got interested in coaching. I was a competition junkie when I was a kid. I loved sports. I played baseball competitively when I was a kid. My dad coached our teams, and he was a really good coach. We had a bunch of championship teams. Every chance I had to compete, like if it was recess, I was playing a game. I wanted to run a race and see who the fastest guy was. I was such a nut, I actually enjoyed the presidential fitness test.
"But then, I didn't play football till I was in seventh grade. And something about when I finally played football, something about the game of football combined all the elements that I love. Because the other thing I actually enjoyed when I was a kid, I enjoyed strategy. I enjoyed playing chess. And so, I felt like football brought it all together. There was, I love the components of strategy that the game had. I love the components of competing, which is something I always loved. And I love being a part of a team."
Watch Coach Mortensen's Entire Press Conference:
