Illinois Football: Christian Bell backs away from Illini commitment

The Illinois football team took a bit of a roster hit on Monday morning with the departure of a solid player.

Back in early March, Wisconsin Badgers edge rusher Christian Bell decided to transfer and play for the Illini. The graduate transfer was looking for a new home and, at the time, it seemed like he found it in Champaign. Those plans have all changed, though.

On Monday morning, Bell announced on Twitter that he has decided to decommit from the University of Illinois. He cited an “uncertain situation” as the reason for backing away from his commitment to the Orange and Blue.

I racked my brain trying to think of the uncertain situation that would make a graduate transfer back away from his commitment less than three months from the season. The only thing I can think of is that Bell wasn’t guaranteed a starting job.

Where does this leave Illinois?

Going into the 2020 campaign, I had Bell slotted in as the starting defensive end alongside Isaiah Gay. This starting job was by no means solid, though. I always believed Bell would be in a timeshare with Owen Carney Jr.

It goes without say, Illinois should be fine without Bell. Carney is going to move up into the starting role. Behind Gay and Carney would be solid, young, depth. There isn’t a ton of experience but a lot of talent on the second and third string at defensive end.

Some of the candidates to see snaps and maybe a few starts this upcoming season include Moses Okpala, Keith Randolph Jr, and Seth Coleman. All three were top 1000 players in the class of 2019, and they all redshirted last season. I look for each of these players to make an impact this year.

It always hurts when you lose a player, especially someone who has experience and can contribute right away. While I would have loved to have Bell on the team, this program isn’t going to miss a beat. The future is still extremely bright for the Illini.