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Illinois Football: Class of 2017 Position Grades for the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

Oct 1, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith watches during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Illinois Fighting Illini in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith watches during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Illinois Fighting Illini in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 15, 2016; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Robert Martin (7) rushes for a first down in front of Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Julian Jones (2) during the first half at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Robert Martin (7) rushes for a first down in front of Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Julian Jones (2) during the first half at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

Linebackers B+

The starting linebackers for the Illinois football team against Murray State last season were James Crawford, Hardy Nickerson, and Tre Watson.

We can all be honest about this group and say that Nickerson was the leader and that is why losing him after the season was such a gut shot for the Illini.

Nickerson started every game for the Illini at middle linebacker and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention.  He leaves a huge void in the middle of the Illinois defense.

Crawford was the opening day starting outside linebacker for the Illini but he only ended up playing in eight games and started just three of those contests.  He is returning for his senior season, but it looks like he is moving to defensive end.

Watson, on the other hand, was a big contributor to the team last year.  He played in all 12 games with eight starts.

At the end of the season, Watson made the All-Big Ten honorable mention list.  He is now back for his junior season with the Illini.

With Nickerson gone from the middle of the defense, Lovie needed to bring in some solid candidates to fill that role.

Del’Shawn Phillips is a junior college product and will be a nice fit for the Illini.  He enrolled early and is projected to be the starting middle linebacker opening day.

The other outside linebacker position is likely to go to Julian Jones.  He improved tremendously last season and even made four starts in the 11 games he played.

Phillips would complete the starting three linebackers for the Illini and Lovie also brought in two more linebackers from the class of 2017 as well.

James Knight and Marc Mondesir are going to help bring depth to this squad.  Illinois didn’t have much depth in 2016 at linebacker and they would have had even less this season.

But, Love added a total of three linebackers to the program and now he doesn’t have to sweat who will be backing up the starting three.

I would give Lovie a solid grade for the linebacker core he brought in from the class of 2017.  It isn’t an A+, but it is a high B.

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