Illinois football is coming off one of the best seasons in program history in 2024.
The Illini managed to win 10 games and came home with a bowl victory over an SEC program. This was a great way to end a special run. But the thing is, Illinois returns a ton of talent in 2025.
Bret Bielema has the Illini going through spring practice right now, and this is where we can find out a little more about the program. There are a few questions I have for the Orange and Blue, though.
Here are the biggest question marks for Illinois football during spring practice
Question #1: Who is next up at wide receiver?
Illinois football had a special wide receiver room last season, led by two great players in Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin. These two combined for 1,636 yards and 14 touchdowns. They made the Illini offense dangerous.
Both players are gone now, so which Illinois wide receivers are going to step up in their place? That is what I want to get a better grip of right now.
With no spring game this year, it is going to be harder to see who is emerging. An obvious choice is Hank Beatty. He was third on the team with 294 yards last season. Collin Dixon was right there behind Beatty with 264 yards.
There is also the chance Malik Elzy blossoms into the four-star he was billed coming out of high school. I think it is fair to say his first two seasons of 129 total yards have been a bit disappointing. The wide receiver picture needs to get a little clearer coming out of spring ball.
Question #2: Will the transfer portal additions on the defensive line suffice?
Since Bielema took over the program, Illinois has done a good job developing players on the defensive line. After last season, we needed to find some talent on the front lines to help for the 2025 campaign.
Illinois managed to land some key defensive line transfer portal players. I think the biggest addition is going to be James Thompson Jr. He came in from the Wisconsin program. The last time we saw him play was in 2023 when he had 29 tackles, three sacks, and two pass deflections. After his injury last season, it will be interesting to see if he can get back on track.
Thompson wasn’t the only addition to the defensive line. Curt Neal, another Wisconsin transfer, joined Thompson. Illinois also added Tomiwa Durojaiye from Florida State. With these three in the picture, will they be able to elevate the Illini defensive line to where it needs to be?
Question #3: Can Illinois get suitable backup offensive linemen for 2025?
For the first time in a long time, I am pretty pumped about the Illinois starting offensive line. We have some serious talent up front, and I think we are in for a special offensive season.
The starting Illini offensive line will include Josh Kreutz at center, JC Davis and Melvin Priestly at tackle, and Josh Gesky and Brandon Henderon at guard. All five players started all but six games last season.
My only concern is about who is behind the starting five. Does Illinois have any depth on the offensive line?
Behind the starting five, Illinois hasn’t seen much from the offensive line. We either have young players who haven’t done much or incoming transfer portal talent from smaller schools. Through the spring, my hope is that Illinois finds out what talent is on the second-string offensive line.