Illinois Football: Illini jump on chance to add transfer portal guard

Illinois football went from a laughingstock to a serious contender to be the Big Ten West representative in the Big Ten Championship game.

That transition for the Illini happened so quickly. Bret Bielema took over the program and has molded us into a unit that isn’t just going to be a cakewalk for incoming teams. But even with all of the good feels going on right now, we also have to realize that Illinois lost a lot of talent from the 2022 rendition of the program.

Most people would point to cornerback Devon Witherspoon or running back Chase Brown as the big-impact departures from the team. While they are huge losses, I would also like to point out the less glorious departures from the offensive line.

Illinois lost two key offensive linemen from the 2022 campaign. Long-time hog and rock for the Illini, Alex Palczewski, is no longer with the team. He graduated and is trying to find a landing spot in the NFL. Missing him on the end of the offensive line is going to hurt the program.

Chameleon Alex Pihlstrom is another big loss for the Illini. I call him a chameleon because, much like a chameleon with the ability to change color to adapt to its surroundings, Pihlstrom was able to adapt to whatever position the team needed him to play.

Pihlstrom started out at tight end. He would then move to guard for the Illini. This past season, he started in all 12 games at center. The ability to adapt was impressive, and he is going to be missed greatly in 2023.

Illinois football is looking to the transfer portal to help bolster the offensive line

With Palczewski and Pihlstrom departing, this leaves the door open for others to step up and earn snaps on the offensive line.

I think we kind of have an idea of who the strong contenders are for the starting five offensive linemen this season. I would imagine Julian Pearl, Jordyn Slaughter, Zy Crisler, and Isaiah Adams will all be strong starting candidates. On Thursday, we will get to see a better picture with the Illinois spring game.

But, without a doubt, there is room for someone to come in and snag starts and snaps. Not only is the starting five not set, but I am not sure how strong the depth is behind the starters. That is why Illinois targeting a player like Emmanuel Pregnon is a great idea.

Pregnon is a 6-foot-6, 318-pound, offensive lineman who would take a redshirt in 2021 and then busted out this past season for Wyoming. During the 2022 campaign, Pregnon would earn second-team freshman All-American honors by College Football News.

Wyoming’s offensive line, anchored by Pregnon, was impressive in 2022. Their top three running backs each averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry, and starter Titus Swen went for over 1,000 yards rushing. The pass protection was impressive too, as Wyoming’s offensive line gave up just 1.4 sacks per game, which ranked No. 29 in the country.

On Saturday, after one season of playing with Wyoming, Pregnon would enter the transfer portal. Since then, he has heard from numerous teams, one of which was the Illini.

Illinois has a lot to offer Pregnon moving forward. If he picked Champaign as his new home, Pregnon would have a chance to not only see snaps from day one, but he could easily work his way into a starting job. That is how impactful I think he could be on this program.

I also believe that style of play matters a lot to an offensive lineman. Bielema likes to run the football. He can develop offensive linemen, and after he develops them, he sends them to the NFL. Pregnon could be the next great first-round NFL Draft pick at Illinois.

Hopefully, the Illini can be a serious contender in landing Pregnon. I think this kid has a ton of talent and could help the Orange and Blue win a lot of games.