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Illinois Football: Projected Illini defensive line with Oluwole Betiku Jr.

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 28: Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jamal Milan (55) lines up and awaits the snap of the ball from Wisconsin Badger offensive lineman Tyler Biadasz (61) durning an college football game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Wisconsin Badgers on October 28th, 2017, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign-Urbana, IL. Wisconsin defeats Illinois 24-10. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 28: Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jamal Milan (55) lines up and awaits the snap of the ball from Wisconsin Badger offensive lineman Tyler Biadasz (61) durning an college football game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Wisconsin Badgers on October 28th, 2017, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign-Urbana, IL. Wisconsin defeats Illinois 24-10. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: Oluwole Betiku Jr. #99 of the USC Trojans looks on during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame won 49-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Defensive End

Starter – Oluwole Betiku Jr. (5-star, #15 overall)

The biggest addition to the defensive line this season is Oluwole Betiku Jr. He is a graduate transfer from USC who is coming in and will, likely, start at defensive end for the Illini.

Betiku hasn’t played much at the college level. Last season for USC, he took a redshirt due to offseason hip surgery. He is now with the Illini as a graduate transfer, which means he can play right away, and he has two years of eligibility remaining. This was a great pickup for the Orange and Blue.

Backup – Isaiah Gay (3-star, #1651 overall)

One of the main staples for the Illini over the last two seasons is Isaiah Gay. This kid wasn’t highly rated, but he came into this Illinois program and showed that he could be a solid player.

Gay was able to start in three games and play in a total of nine for the Illini during his sophomore campaign. I am going to say he will be looked to for big playing time this season as well. He is an important backup for this program.

Backup – Ayo Shogbonyo (2-star, #2841 overall)

The third-tier defensive end I have is Ayo Shogbonyo. He has been with the program for three years now after taking a redshirt during his freshman season. During his redshirt sophomore campaign, Shogbonyo played in eight games for the Illini at defensive end. He has experience and that is what I like for my backups.

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