Illinois Football: 5 graduate transfer options for the Illini in 2020

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 02: The Illinois Fighting Illini helmet on the field after a win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 02: The Illinois Fighting Illini helmet on the field after a win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
1 of 6
Illinois football
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 02: The Illinois Fighting Illini and Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the field at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

The Illinois football team is still trying to finalize their football roster for the crucial 2020 campaign.

Lovie Smith and the Illini coaching staff have a total of 12 players signed and 13 committed for 2020. The only player who isn’t signed is Jadon Thompson, but he said he was going to sign in February during the regular National Signing Day. He is ranked as our best recruit for 2020.

This class is good. I am here to tell you that, while only 13 players committed doesn’t look like a lot, it is enough to fill our roster. With the class coming in, I have the Illini with, roughly, 88 scholarship players and we are only allotted a total of 85 scholarships. We didn’t have a lot of players graduate, that is why we don’t need a huge recruiting class.

But, like every team in the nation, there will be a few players who decide to transfer out of the program. This will open up a few scholarships as a result. Over the past couple of years, the Illinois football team has been a landing spot for some talented graduate transfer players. These players have helped accelerate the progress of this program.

There are already a multitude of graduate transfer players out there on the market. Who would be the best options, though?

Here are five graduate transfer options for the Illini in 2020.