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Illinois Football: Early Illini projected depth chart for 2018

By Rees Woodcock

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 21: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on October 21, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Fighting Illini 24-17. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 21: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on October 21, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Fighting Illini 24-17. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 29: Illinois fans celebrate during a Big Ten Conference football game between the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini on October 29, 2016, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. Minnesota won, 40-17. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Offensive Tackle

Starter: Larry Boyd

Illinois has a lot of young talent and you can see some of these players are going to be surefire NFL Draft picks. I think Larry Boyd will be one of those young players who will end up getting drafted in the future.

Boyd came in as a true freshman last season and was great. He entered the program as a four-star recruit according to ESPN. He was a great get for Lovie and the Illinois football team.

From the beginning, Boyd made an impact on this team. He played in every game for the Illini in 2017 and even started nine of those contests. This experience – and his 6-foot-6, 340-pound size – is why I think he should be the starting offensive tackle for the Illini in 2018.

Backup: Jordyn Slaughter

The Illinois backup offensive linemen are very young and getting knowledge from the older guys will help them down the road. Jordyn Slaughter is an offensive lineman I think will have a great career in the Orange and Blue and he is from the class of 2018.

Slaughter comes into the program fairly highly rated. He is a three-star recruit who is the No. 928 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 82 offensive tackle in the nation. I like him so much, I think he could end up being a backup year one for this Illini team.

Slaughter still has a lot to learn but he is smart, so I think he can learn quickly. He will see some snaps year one, but he will have to fight for starts on this deep offensive line.

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