While the transfer portal is tearing through programs, the Illinois football team has gone rather unscathed.
Sure, the Illini have had some departures into the transfer portal, but there haven’t been knockout blows that kill the program. In fact, I would argue the talent we have added to the roster far outweighs what we have lost to the almighty transfer portal.
Bret Bielema has done a great job focusing on key positions and groupings. One grouping that has blown me away is the offensive line. Illinois is getting back our five starting offensive linemen from week seven on. That is an impressive feat.
But, as many Illinois fans know, depth is always a concern on the offensive line. That is changing, though. On Saturday, Pete Nakos of On3.com reported that Illinois has landed transfer talent Nathan Knapik.
BREAKING: Idaho transfer OL Nathan Knapik has signed with Illinois, @PeteNakos_ reports.https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR pic.twitter.com/vCCEPGYno4
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) April 26, 2025
Coming out of Kennewick High School in Washington, Knapik was a three-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 1395 player in the class of 2024 and the No. 111 offensive tackle in the country. Idaho ended up landing the offensive tackle.
Illinois football isn’t just getting depth by landing Nathan Knapik out of the transfer portal
It is great to add more talent to the offensive line. Like I said earlier, Illinois has our entire season-ending starting offensive line back from 2024. In addition, there are some nice depth pieces on the roster. I like players like Dezmond Schuster, Kellen Francis, Brandon Hansen, etc.
But Bielema knew we needed more bodies. He went out and landed Tyler McMillan out of the transfer portal. He is a nice depth piece for the Illini. Back in January, Illinois also landed Nathan’s brother, Ayden Knapik, from Idaho. So, now we have both of the brothers on the roster.
The thing with Nathan is that he is extremely young. The younger Knapik was a freshman last season, and while he only played in five games, he still registered the highest Pro Football Focus grade on the Idaho team, which included his brother.
What is exciting is that Illinois has three more seasons with Knapik. We have a chance to mold and develop this kid. Bielema did a great job building depth and talent, and now the future is so bright.