Illinois Football News: South Carolina to miss star EDGE rusher in Citrus Bowl

NEWS: The Illinois Football staff has been hard at work since the end of the regular season, diving head-first into transfer portal recruiting in preparation for the future. With a strong focus on 2025 and beyond, the team is shaping its roster for the long term. Meanwhile, preparations continue for the upcoming Citrus Bowl, where Illinois is slated to face surging SEC opponent South Carolina.

Report From ESPN’s Chris Low

Low Reports, “South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard, who won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player in college football, has decided to opt out of the Gamecocks‘ Cheez-It Citrus Bowl matchup with Illinois, coach Shane Beamer said Wednesday.

Kennard, a 6-foot-5, 254-pound edge rusher, led the SEC in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (11.5) and also forced three fumbles. This was his only season at South Carolina after transferring from Georgia Tech.

Beamer said Kennard was skipping the bowl game to prepare for the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Kennard rated as the No. 6 outside linebacker in the draft, and ESPN’s Field Yates projects Kennard to be the No. 26 overall selection by the Green Bay Packers.

Sep 14, 2024; Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Impact on Illinois Football

Illinois Football received a significant boost with the recent announcement that Luke Altmyer will return for one more season in 2025, and to lead the Fighting Illini in their upcoming bowl game vs the Gamecocks. The Illini must keep him healthy and protected, and Kennard is certainly a guy who can raise concerns.

The ferocious edge is capable of wreaking absolute havoc on opposing quarterbacks with 12 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. His absence removes a significant threat to Barry Lunney Jr.’s offense and to Altmyer. Bart Miller’s offensive line did a pretty good job of keeping Luke clean over the course of 2024, but at times, showed flashes of struggle. The Gamecock’s loss of the future pro is certainly helpful for the Illini front-5.

Coach Shane Beamer hinted at the possibility of additional opt-outs for South Carolina. Only time will reveal how starting lineups unfold when the two teams meet on December 31.