Illinois football: 3 biggest impact players on the Illini defense

Oct 31, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Owen Carney Jr. (99) sacks Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell (16) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

2. Owen Carney

Another player who has been a part of the Illinois football program for four years is Owen Carney. Carney is entering his fifth season with the Orange and Blue. You can make the case Carney has gotten better every year since he arrived in Champaign.

In his first season, Carney tallied up 4 solo tackles and 6 total tackles. Unfortunately, Carney didn’t see much action on the field, only playing in four games.

In his second season, Carney saw his stats take a jump in every category. He ended the year with 20 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection, 1 fumble recovery, and 1.5 sacks. Carney flashed the potential to be a good pass rusher that season, but he also struggled when Illinois played against other Big Ten teams.

Carney’s junior season went well, but his numbers and role took a slight dip. He ended the year with 15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 pass deflection. However, Carney again struggled to create pressure in conference play.

The best season for Carney came in 2020. He saw his role on defense get bigger, and that led to his numbers taking a jump. Carney ended the season with 27 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. In addition, Carney was better in Big Ten play last season. He was Illinois’ best defensive lineman.

With the coaching changes, Carney is now an outside linebacker. This means Carney will be in coverage more, but he will still get to rush the passer. Due to his role change, I think some of his numbers will dip. I predict he will have 22 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles.