Illinois Football: Devon Witherspoon starting rack up big-time accolades

Illinois football just finished up the best season for the program since the 2007 campaign.

The Illini finishing 8-4 is something to hang your hat on. We had a preseason over-under of 4.5 wins. Getting to six wins would have been an accomplishment. Getting to eight wins is something to be proud of if you are a fan of the Orange and Blue.

A big reason for the great season was the fact Illinois had one of the best defenses in the country. One of the leaders on this great defense is cornerback, Devon Witherspoon.

On Tuesday, Witherspoon started to get the well-earned recognition that everyone saw coming. It was announced by the Big Ten that the talented cornerback earned the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award, which is given out to the best defensive back in the conference.

Devon Witherspoon only has one more game left with the Illinois football program.

What if I told you that a player with zero stars and not nationally ranked would end up being the best defensive back in the Big Ten?

That is what is going on right this second. Witherspoon wasn’t rated or ranked coming out of Pine Forest High School in Florida. Here is his list of power-five scholarship offers; Illinois. That is it. That is the list.

But Witherspoon chose Illinois and he grinded. Lovie Smith played Witherspoon every game in 2019. He then continued to see playing time and starts through the rest of the Lovie era and into the Bret Bielema era.

An All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media in 2021 turned into the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award this season, and Witherspoon also made first-team All-Big Ten defense.

Pro Football Focus College released their All-American teams on Tuesday. Witherspoon made it on the first team at cornerback. He is sandwiched right between an Ohio State and Alabama player. Remember, this kid didn’t have a single star next to his name.

Witherspoon was a special player for the Illinois football program during the regular season, and I can’t wait to see him shut down whatever quarterback we go up against in our bowl game. I hope Illini fans enjoy watching him one more time because Witherspoon is about to head into the NFL Draft and will, most likely, be a first-two-round draft pick.