Illinois Football: Deciding who the Illini should redshirt in 2019
The NCAA has gotten one thing right over the last decade and that is to allow Illinois football players to redshirt after four games.
This rule change is probably the best thing I have seen the NCAA do in regards to legislation of the college athlete. Letting kids redshirt after four games enables them to get the feel of the game and then, if they aren’t ready or needed at that point in the season, then they don’t have to waste a year of eligibility. That is a great thing for these young kids.
I would assume Illinois is going to take advantage of this great new rule that has been intact for a couple of years now. What players could end up being redshirted this season, though?
Yes Redshirt
I think the No. 1 obvious redshirt for the Illini needs to be quarterback, Isaiah Williams. There is no reason to waste a year of his eligibility riding the pine for the Orange and Blue. Let him not have to worry about playing, so he can get stronger and a better grip on the game. This one year will help him tremendously.
The other players who need to be redshirted include Marquez Beason (obviously), Joseph Thompson, Nick Fedanzo, Matthew Judd, Ryan Meed, Ben Schultz, Mark Di Lorio, Aiden Hall, Nolan Rossback, Griffin Moore, Bryce Barnes, Seth Coleman, Evan Kirts, Josh Plohr, Casey Washington, Dalevon Campbell, Moses Okpala and Thomas Cronin.
Maybe Redshirt
There aren’t too many players that I would be on the fence about redshirting. The main player in this bunch includes Keith Randolph Jr. He came into this program as a highly rated recruit and has played some so far as a true freshman. I would lean towards redshirting him because of the depth we have at defensive end. He might be the only player out of the entire freshman class that I would be hesitant about.
Don’t Redshirt
The list of players who I wouldn’t redshirt is probably longer than most people would like. In this mix, I would include the linebacker duo of Shammond Cooper and Tarique Barnes. I think of both of these linebackers have done a solid job for the Illini this season, and they are the depth behind the starters right now.
The other freshmen that I wouldn’t redshirt this season are Kyron Cumby and Devon Witherspoon. I think Cumby can be an asset in the passing game with the current roster. His speed is fun to watch. I also think Witherspoon is an asset to the defense. We are thin at defensive back, and Witherspoon can help in this area.