Illinois Football: 5 grad transfer targets for Bret Bielema and the Illini

5. LB Jordan Anthony

I would have thought the linebacker corps for the Illinois football team would have improved under the previous coaching regime. That didn’t seem to be the case whatsoever. But a new dawn is upon us.

I sound like a broken record, but Illinois needs to get more depth at linebacker. I love some of the pieces we have, but we just don’t have the quality depth we need. Jordan Anthony wouldn’t be a bad player to add this offseason.

Anthony was a four-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 106 player in the class of 2017. Coming out of the prestigious IMG Academy, the No. 8 outside linebacker in the nation had his pick of whatever team he wanted out of high school. He ended up choosing Michigan.

In 2017, Anthony didn’t see action with the Wolverines. He then played in seven games as a sophomore with three tackles on the year. The talented linebacker then played in 11 games in 2019 with a total of 11 tackles. He is now looking for a new home.

There is no real previous connection between anyone on the Illinois staff and Anthony. But this kid is wanting a fresh start with a coaching staff that can develop him into an NFL player. That is what I believe Bret Bielema can do with Anthony.

Illinois needs some serious help with depth at linebacker as well. There were multiple times last season where the Illini played linebackers who weren’t even on scholarship. That needs to stop. Anthony could make an impact immediately.