NEWS: J.C. Davis announces return to Illinois Football

In big-time news for Illinois football, starting left tackle, J.C. Davis has announced that he will return for one more year in college football in 2025.

The news was certainly a quick turn of events, as Davis looked all but ready to focus on his NFL Dream. J.C. Davis had finished a standout season in his one year in Champaign and was going to be a major loss for the Illini. He has definitely played himself into NFL draft conversations as a late-round pick and was recently invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile. Alabama. However, a recent NCAA ruling occurred surrounding Vanderbilt QB, Diego Pavia. The ruling declared that all JUCO athletes who are running out of eligibility after this year will have one more bonus year of eligibility.

After the official ruling, Illini coach Bret Bielema quickly made his way to Oakland, California to make one final pitch to his star left tackle on what they could accomplish if Davis chose to press pause on his NFL dream. That conversation obviously had some meaning as Davis has now announced his return to Champaign.

Experienced veterans in Champaign

On the offensive side of the ball, the Illini are returning a load of experience. In addition to J.C. Davis, QB Luke Altmyer and the rest of an experienced offensive line are planning on returning. Despite losing some pieces such as Zy Crisler and Henry Boyer, the Illini are likely to return their entire running back room full of upperclassmen. As we all know, Age wins in college athletics. The Illini have a number of quality starters returning and should be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.

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