Illinois Football: Illini getting the linebacker position right

Lovie Smith was always known for molding great linebackers in the NFL, and he has now brought that to the Illinois football team.

Throughout time, the Illini have produced great linebackers. From Dick Butkus to Kevin Hardy to J Lehman, there have been legends come through the program for decades. But, while there have been solid linebackers recently, the grouping hasn’t been the caliber of generations in the past.

I feel like that is starting to change with Lovie’s regime and the talent he is bringing into the program. The 2019 rendition of the linebacker corps will be one of the best I have seen in years. The talent isn’t just with one guy. We have a handful of linebackers who can make a big impact on this defense.

One of the leaders among the linebackers is Jake Hansen. This kid wasn’t touted as a great linebacker coming into the program. Shoot, he was barely a three-star recruit. 247Sports had him ranked as the No. 1999 player in the class of 2016. But he was one of those players who committed to and stuck with the Illinois program after the coaching change and turmoil from the 2015 season.

Hansen sticking with this Illinois team showed heart and strength. He has been a stabilizing figure to this program over the years. Now, entering his junior year and coming off a 95-tackle season, Hansen is ready to help lead this Illini linebacker corps. He is ready to make this one of the greatest groups of linebackers we have ever seen in Champaign. Much like 2018, I have Hansen starting for the Illini once again in 2019.

Another stabilizing force for the Orange and Blue is Dele Harding. He was another recruit who decided to stick with his commitment in 2016. His hard work is paying off, and Harding is projected as one of the starting linebackers from what I have seen. Harding seems to be developing nicely on the field. He has come a long way over the last few seasons. This kid is going to be a nightmare to deal with in 2019.

The final starting piece to the puzzle, from what I can tell, is going to be Milo Eifler. He was a huge pickup for Lovie Smith but not in the regular recruiting market. Eifler came in via the transfer route. He had to sit out last season, but this kid is going to make a huge impact in 2019.

These three linebackers are who I have pegged as starters for the upcoming season. Will they start every game? Probably not, but that is because we have other talented linebackers behind the starters who create some great depth.

I believe the main backups to these three linebackers are going to be Khalan Tolson followed by Shammond Cooper.

Tolson has shown in training camp and over the last year that he is ready to step up into a starting role. Depth is preventing that right now, but Tolson should see a lot of snaps this season. He is a beast in the middle of the defensive and should be someone that makes some big plays in 2019.

I love that Cooper is getting a lot of time in during training camp too. I think he will be a great option for the Illini when one of the two outside linebackers need a break. Cooper was a highly rated recruit coming out of high school. Once he gets a little stronger, he will be one of the best in the Big Ten.

There are other linebackers who should provide snaps for the Illini this season too. Delano Ware moved down to the linebacker role and will get playing time. I will also be curious to see how much time Marc Mondesir gets. He has had some time in training camp too.

The linebacker corps is extremely important to get right. Lovie and the Illinois coaching staff seem to be on the right track. There is a lot of talent in this group. I am excited to see what they can do this season.