Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Football: Top performers against Western Kentucky

By Rees Woodcock

LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks over the field against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Illinois 31-16. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks over the field against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Illinois 31-16. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Illinois football
CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 25: University of Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer during the game against the Purdue University Boilermakers on September 25, 2004 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue defeated Illinois 38-30. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

2. Bobby Roundtree

Last week was an extremely impressive first game for true freshman Bobby Roundtree. He showed that he had a ton of potential like most people thought, and finished the game with five tackles and a huge sack that helped seal the victory over Ball State.

How would Roundtree follow up that great performance against the Cardinals? He ended the game with three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against Western Kentucky. He was everywhere on the field and his great play is one of the reasons why this Illinois defense was so special on Saturday night.

Roundtree is a true freshman and he is putting up these types of numbers. He currently has three sacks on the season – leading the team by a lot – and has been an impact player immediately for this program. Yesterday’s performance was huge for this Illini team.

One of the top performer spots goes to Roundtree because of how he played and the expectations coming into the season. Everyone knew this kid had a ton of talent but was still extremely raw. He showed how much he had already developed as a player and is now arguably the best defensive lineman on the team. The growth of Roundtree will be fascinating to watch over the next three years and I truly believe the Illini have a great on their hands with this kid.

Home/Illinois Football