Illinois Football: Positions the Illini addressed on National Signing Day

National Signing Day is about the Illinois football team finding players who can fill the voids left by the previous coaching staff and departing players.

For the class of 2022, the Illini managed to do a lot of good work filling the needs on the team. I would say the biggest need for the Orange and Blue was at the quarterback position.

Illinois managed to land a talented quarterback in Donovan Leary. He is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound quarterback from Timber Creek High School and resides in Sicklerville, New Jersey. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1168 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 71 quarterback in the nation and the No. 25 player coming out of New Jersey.

Donovan isn’t the only Leary to enter the college ranks as a quarterback. His brother, Devin, is the starting quarterback for North Carolina State. Devin helped lead the Wolfpack to a 9-3 record this season and threw for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

But Devin is looking to blaze his own trail. While there is clearly talented blood running through his veins, Leary is now starting his career at Illinois and is the first quarterback Bret Bielema has recruited in Champaign from the high school ranks.

Thankfully, Leary won’t have to be thrown to the wolves early on. Bielema was also able to secure a transfer commitment from Syracuse quarterback, Tommy DeVito. DeVito won’t show on the recruiting rankings, but he is a solid, stabilizing, presence behind center. DeVito will have the reins for one season while his backup is being prepped for the future.

Quarterback is not the only position Illinois football addressed on National Signing Day.

While I love what the Illini managed to do with the quarterback room, I think they also hit a home run with two other positions that were a big need.

The offensive line is going to be interesting entering the 2022 campaign. Illinois lost their entire starting five offensive linemen from this past season, so experience will be a big question mark for the program.

Bielema and the Illini coaching staff had a plan, though. They were able to go into the 2022 class and snag six offensive linemen. These six hogs will join fellow offensive linemen like Josh Kreutz, Brody Wisecarver, and Alex Philstrom upfront.

I am also happy with how Illinois addressed their need at outside linebacker. Losing Isaiah Gay and Owen Carney Jr. is going to hurt this Illini defense. But Illinois is bringing in some talented linebackers to help fill those voids.

Jared Badie is the highest-rated recruit for the Illini class of 2022. He is joining the outside linebacker group and could make an impact in year one. Illinois was also able to flip Gabriel Jacas from Tulane. He should provide great depth at the outside linebacker position.

Even though they might not be playing outside linebacker from the start, Illinois also secured two other linebackers in Malachi Hood and James Kreutz. The more bodies in the middle of the defense the better.

Illinois addressed some big concerns of mine with the 2022 class. This is a great group coming in, and I can’t wait to see them develop.