Illinois Football: OL Melvin Priestly Draws Widespread Praise

An off-season transfer portal addition has stepped up early for Illinois Football, becoming a pleasant surprise for the fan base.

Offensive Tackle Melvin Priestly is a guy the Illini staff has been impressed with since his arrival. The Grambling State transfer stood out during spring ball, which then translated into fall camp. Bielema and OL coach Bart Miller feel confident in their strong 2-deep. Additionally, have 7-8 players that could comfortably start, if needed. However, in this competitive room, Melvin’s name continually popped up during open media availabilities.

For many, the talented Illini tackle is a surprise. For Illinois, Football staff has been sold for quite some time.

Video Credit: Illini Football Focus

Then and Now

Typically, the offensive line is not a position that stands out for big, flashy plays. However, Melvin was really good and delivered a handful of brutal Pancake blocks to the Eastern Illinois defensive line.

Additionally, he did so without penalties, which may be even more impressive, as in 2023, he was the most penalized offensive lineman in the nation. The East St. Louis native racked up 24 total penalties last season…. but was very aggressive for Grambling State.

If he can continue the trend of being a big, physical offensive lineman, he will play himself into the NFL. Of course, if he can keep avoiding penalties.

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