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Illinois Football: 3 biggest impact players on the Illini offense

By Jalen Wilson

CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 31: Chase Brown #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs with the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers in the third quarter at Memorial Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue defeated Illinois 31-24. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 31: Chase Brown #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs with the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers in the third quarter at Memorial Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue defeated Illinois 31-24. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Oct 19, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini tight end Daniel Barker (87) receives a pass during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini tight end Daniel Barker (87) receives a pass during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Daniel Barker

Arguably the best tight end on this team is Daniel Barker. He is now heading into his fourth season with the program looking to make a huge impact.

In his first season, Barker caught 9 passes for 84 yards and 1 touchdown. In his sophomore season, Barker broke out catching 18 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns. He then saw his numbers take a slight dip in his junior season. He caught 19 passes for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns. Illinois football fans could have seen more of Barker last season if it wasn’t for a shortened season due to COVID-19.

There are some concerns and improvements that are still needed from Barker. Blocking will be a must for Illini’s tight ends this season, and blocking is something Barker has struggled at in each of his three years at Illinois.

Making contested catches is also something that needs improvement. Barker is far from a bad pass catcher, but sometimes he has difficulty corraling the ball when a defender is near him. A couple of things Barker does do well are route running and finding holes in zone coverage.

Next. Projected Illini depth chart on offense for 2021. dark

Barker will be in a new offensive scheme next season that is set to utilize tight ends, thus making me believe he will have the most significant impact on the offense. This season I expect him to have around 700 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. I believe Barker will have the biggest impact on the Illinois offense this year.

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