Illinois Football: Illini Team Grades Through 3 Games

The defense as a whole has not been as good as I had hoped, but they aren’t bad either.

There were some nice offseason additions to this defense and one of those is linebacker Hardy Nickerson Jr.

Nickerson has done a solid job anchoring the linebacker core.  He is a talented player that has helped the defense really come together.

Through just three games this season, Nickerson has accumulated 29 total tackles and 1 sack.  He leads the team and is No. 31 in the nation in total tackles.

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The addition of Nickerson is proving to be crucial in the Illinois defensive scheme.

I also like what James Crawford has brought to the table this season.  He is third on the team in tackles with 16 and he has been a nice presence on the football field.

Crawford will continue to develop throughout the season.

And then the other starting linebacker on the squad is Tre Watson.  He hasn’t had a terrible year so far with 9 tackles.

But, the fact still remains that opposing offenses are running all over the Illini defense.  This trend has to stop or it could be a long season for the Illini.

There are times that the linebackers look lost in the middle of the field.  I think this has to do with a new coach and Nickerson still being new to the team.

I would give this group of linebackers a B- this season so far.  There is still a lot of room for improvement but I don’t think they are the reason for the slow start.