Another Position Illinois Football Should Address In The Portal

Another Position Illinois Football Should Address In The Portal

In part 1 of the “Portal Needs” series, I stated that Illinois Football will need to add 2 experienced cornerbacks from the transfer portal. If they do so, they can feel more confident in this defense as the season approaches. The secondary was a toothache for Aaron Henry’s squad in 2023. This was also just one year removed from a historically good defense led by Devon Witherspoon, Quan Martin, and Sydney Brown. The attrition factor, paired with youth and inexperience in this room hurt the Illini in 2023. Illinois still has at least 5-6 scholarships available to round out the rest of this roster.

Opinion: The next room where I would prioritize a scholarship is Terrance Jamison’s defensive line.

Certainly, this is another position where NFL attrition has taken a major effect. Coach Jamison has a solid core in Enyce Sledge, Dennis Briggs Jr, and Terah Edwards. Plus, Bret has been very high on Alex Bray. However, there is not a ton of proven experience here. As we know in the Big Ten, injuries happen often on the line of scrimmage. As a result, Illinois must be well-equipped with productive depth pieces.

Adding a veteran wide receiver is certainly on the table as well, as the scholarships are available. However, I am much more confident in the Illinois offense as a unit approaching 2024. The Illini have experienced depth at the offensive line, and a balanced/deep room at running back. Adding more veteran help to the passing attack would be a cherry on top to complement this offense for 2024. However, the need isn’t as critical as the holes Illinois must fill on the defense.

D-Lineman Who Left The Program

Recently, the “Law Firm” of Keith Randolph and Johnny Newton departed Illinois Football for the NFL. This opened up two major voids to fill for the Illini on the defensive line. Coach Bielema brought in transfers like Auburn Transfer Enyce Sledge and Florida State transfer Dennis Briggs Jr to fill the void. The unit seemed to have a good spring with the new additions. However, roster moves happen, and coach Terrance Jamison now has a good chance to add to the room.

Anthony Johnson

The Youngstown State Transfer decided to step away from Illinois Football and re-enter the portal in early April. Anthony posted an official announcement on X with a brief statement. “Thank you to the University of Illinois. I will be entering the transfer portal.” Certainly, speculation had been created on social media about such a talent leaving. However, it seemed like Johnson may have been starting to slip his way down the depth chart. He is a highly talented edge rusher, who could have been a great (heavy minutes) rotational piece for Terrance Jamison on the DL.

Offers In the Portal

Thus far, it has been a very quiet spring for Bret Bielema in the transfer portal additions department. Certainly, there was a flux of players who exited the program during the April transfer window. Fans anxiously await the choice of direction that Illinois Football decides to go with these open scholarships.

Something to note: Spring is a different animal than the post-season transfer portal all together. Not exclusively, but in many cases, those entering the market during the spring are doing so because the path to starting/playing time was seemingly not there in their current situation. Obviously, that does not fully determine whether or not they are a good player. However, coaches may tend to be a little more strategic with the offers. Certainly, there are plenty of other situations and reasons why a player may choose to enter his name into the portal. So, the Illini staff may just be taking their time with the few (important) offers they possess.

Thank you for reading Armchair Illini. For more Illinois Athletics and Big Ten content from Armchair Illini, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. Please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around!