Illinois Football: New Orleans Saints are getting versatility in Alex Pihlstrom

One of the most unique Illinois football players has been signed by an NFL team.

Going from the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side of the ball is tough. Over the years, the Illini have had quite a few players switch positions. But I would argue Alex Pihlstrom made the toughest position switch I have ever seen. That switch paid off.

While Pihlstrom didn’t get picked in the 2023 NFL Draft, he did manage to sign with an NFL team. After the draft on Saturday, it was announced that Pihlstrom had signed with the New Orleans Saints.

New Orleans Saints are getting a do-it-all guy in former Illinois football center Alex Pihlstrom

Coming out of Glenbard West High School in Illinois, Pihlstrom had zero recruiting attention at the DI level. He didn’t have stars next to his name or a ranking by 247Sports. This kid ended up walking on to the Illinois football team. He didn’t even have a scholarship offer.

For the first couple of seasons, Pihlstrom was just a member of the team. He didn’t have much of a role. In 2019, he would move to tight end and played in his first game. Going from the offensive line in high school to tight end in college is a pretty big jump.

In 2020, Pihlstrom would move back to the offensive line and started two games for the Illini at guard. After Doug Kramer departed the program, Illinois needed a center. Pihlstrom would then move over to the center role, where he would start five games in 2021 and every game this past season.

Pihlstrom would earn All-Big Ten second-team honors this past season. He has played three different positions at Illinois, and now he is going to get his chance with the Saints. Going from zero stars to an NFL team is quite an impressive journey.