​Jul. 15—Some athletes are naturals when it comes to the media responsibilities they undertake when they arrive at Illinois. Others have to work their way up to it. Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights 10 Illini who handled it best in 2025-26:The best thing about Boswell? He never held back. The veteran Illinois guard routinely said what was on his mind — even if that meant being self critical. Like when he admitted he deserved Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors more in his first season with the Illini than when he actually got that recognition this spring. Boswell’s refreshing level of openness and willing to dive into the emotions beyond the game made him stand out.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 2025 Loren Tate Award winner was a shoe-in, of course, for the N-G’s unofficial all-interview team. His communication skills — clearly important for a Big Ten starting quarterback — developed and matured during the course of his three years in Champaign. It was a natural progression that mirrored Altmyer’s growing confidence on the field as he settled in as a multi-year starter for the Illini on his path to the NFL.Either Illinois’ media training never fully sank in, or Mirkovic just chose to mostly ignore it and be his authentic self. Mirkovic became a postseason sensation once locker rooms opened during tournament play, and what everyone who covered the Illini on daily basis learned during the course of the year became a national phenomenon. Like the story of Mirkovic buying a cowboy hat to wear in celebration of Illinois’ victories in Houston.It only takes a single conversation with Gero-Holt to understand her big personality only matches the passion she has for what she tackles every day as a multi-event athlete. The redshirt freshman All-American out of South Hill, Wash., didn’t hesitate to open up about why Illinois was the perfect place to pursue her pentathlon and heptathlon goals and why she was able to have a high level of success this spring in her first competitive season.Jackson was an early fan favorite. Five-star guards that stay home tend to be. But it wasn’t just her skill level that connected with the Illinois fan base. Her personality did, too, and that came through during her media availabilities throughout the course of her freshman season. Jackson was willing to talk about anything related to her game or her team and brought a lighthearted approach to taking on some measure of becoming a face of the program.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHernandez had every reason to be closed off during her final season at Illinois. The Bloomington native and Normal West graduate was a constant at outside hitter in 2024 after transferring from Northwestern, but she wound up in a smaller role as her senior season progressed. Her reaction? Nothing but support for her teammates and a willingness to discuss how she was adapting to something she didn’t necessarily expect.That Bailey basically served an apprenticeship under now