Illinois Football: Early 2021 evaluation of the Illini secondary

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Dec 30, 2019; Santa Clara, California, USA; California Golden Bears tight end Jake Tonges (85) catches the football against Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Nate Hobbs (8) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /

The Illinois football program is starting with a new coaching staff, and there should be excitement for the team moving forward.

In the game of football, pass coverage is becoming more important by the day. While the Illini struggled in 2020, their pass defense wasn’t the worst in the nation.

Illinois gave up 237.1 yards per game through the air last season, which ranked No. 69 in the country. Overall, that isn’t terrible but it could always be better.

Key Departures

With everything going on with COVID-19, Illinois didn’t have massive departures. The NCAA gave fall athletes another year of eligibility, so the only key secondary player to leave was Nate Hobbs.

Hobbs was always a solid cornerback for the Illini. There were glimpses of him being able to get to the next level, but there were also times where his pass coverage and tackling would come into question. With only three interceptions during his Illinois career, I would like to have seen him come back and continue to develop under a new regime.

But Hobbs is now trying his hand at the next level. I wish the kid nothing but the best as his journey starts in the NFL. Hopefully, he can impress some scouts and a team picks him late in the NFL Draft.

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