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Illinois Football: Illini lose Tito Odenigbo to transfer

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) /
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You can mark another one down. The Illinois football team lost defensive tackle Tito Odenigbo today to a transfer.

Odenigbo came into the Illinois program as a three-star defensive tackle who was ranked as the No. 1049 player in the class of 2014 and the No. 67 player in the state of Ohio. He committed to Tim Beckman and the Illini over programs like Cincinnati, Akron and Boston College.

In year one with the program, Odenigbo took a redshirt so he could have an extra year of eligibility. He then was able to play in six games the following season. Entering his sophomore campaign, Odenigbo got a shot at more playing time. He saw action in 11 games and even started one of those contests.

This past season, Odenigbo continued to see snaps. He played in 10 games for Lovie Smith and the Illini and started in four of those contests. He has now decided to take his talents elsewhere for his final year of eligibility.

This transfer makes sense to me. Illinois already has some talented defensive tackles on the line right now. Tymir Oliver started the most games at defensive tackle last season for the Illini. He got the nod in 10 games and played in all 12 contests. Look for Jamal Milan and Kenyon Jackson to be big-time contributors for this program in 2018 as well. Milan has started 11 games since Lovie took the reins and Jackson has started eight games.

Don’t be surprised if Kendrick Green continues to improve and sees playing time in 2018. He was a highly rated recruit from Peoria in 2017. I expect great things out of him in the future. Illinois also has a nice class of 2018 coming in as well.

Calvin Avery is a superstar defensive tackle from the class of 2018 who will likely get starts immediately. He is a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 192 player in the nation and the No. 25 player in the state of Texas. He will be an impact player for this Illini ball club.

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So, was it surprising that Odenigbo decided to transfer? Not at all, it actually makes perfect sense. It was likely he wouldn’t have seen much action in 2018 if any at all. Illinois is building some nice depth at this position and will continue building depth. I wish him nothing but the best moving forward, though.

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