The offseason has been pretty positive for the Illinois football program, and we are still adding pieces by the week.
As of right now, the Illini have a total of 16 transfer portal additions for the 2025 campaign. The most recent commitment was from dual-threat tight end Christian Abney from Ball State.
While all transfer portal additions are important to the Orange and Blue, I have pinpointed three players who could really make a huge impact on the Illini from day one. This is just an early look at the impact players, but I think these three could be complete game-changers.
Initial look at the top three high impact Illinois transfer portal additions
No. 1 Hudson Clement – Wide Receiver
I would argue the biggest loss Illinois took from the 10-win campaign is at the wide receiver position. We had two great pass catchers in Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, both of which are in the NFL.
One of Bret Bielema's first orders of business was to bring in a wide receiver. The Illini were able to land West Virginia’s Hudson Clement.
Clement spent two impressive seasons with the Mountaineers. He had 22 receptions for 480 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman in 2023. This past season, he nearly doubled his totals with 51 receptions for 741 yards and five touchdowns.
Illinois was entering 2025 with very few playmakers at the wide receiver position. Clement will fit in perfectly with this offense. Luke Altmyer is going to need a go-to guy, and that is what Clement can be for the Illini.
When I watch this kid play the game, he reminds me a lot of someone like Larry Fitzgerald. He is a great route runner and can move, but his hands are what really stand out. Through two seasons of college football, Clement has had 108 targets and only three drops. That is an impressive feat.
No. 2 James Thompson Jr. – Defensive Line
Since Jer’Zhan Newton left the Illinois program, I haven’t been blown away by the defensive line. I think someone like James Thompson Jr. can help get me back to being impressed with the defensive line talent.
Thompson missed all of the 2024 season due to surgery for an upper-body injury. Before that, he spent three successful seasons with Wisconsin.
While with the Badgers, Thompson massed 29 tackles, three sacks, and two pass deflections the last time he played in 2023. Illinois is getting some important experience with Thompson, too. He has played in 39 games and has a total of 18 starts throughout his career.
Illinois could have a pretty good defensive line in 2025, anchored by Thompson. He has by far the most experience and talent. Thompson is going to start, and I think he will lead the line. Joining Thompson should be Gentle Hunt, who I have as the nose tackle. I also see there being a battle for snaps between players like Curt Neal and Tomiwa Durojaiya, among others.
No. 3 Keelan Crimmins – Punter
Some people might scoff at the notion that a punter would be one of the most impactful transfers, but with the way the offseason has gone, I think this could be a huge piece to the puzzle for the Illini.
All three phases of the game matter. Bielema knows this and addressed some big issues on the roster. The importance of having a great punter can’t go unstated—just ask a team like Iowa.
During the offseason, Illinois had both of our punters, Hugh Robertson and Declan Duley, depart the program. That left the program with zero players to punt the football.
What did Bielema go out and do? He went out and secured the commitment from an All-Big Ten honorable mention punter.
Keelan Crimmins, a transfer from Purdue, decided Illinois was the landing spot. The Illini are getting a special teams ace who averaged 44.9 yards per punt and had 14 punts of over 50 yards last season. He also had 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.
A punter is crucial to any team. This position can pin an opposing offense back and control field position. Illinois got one of the best punters in the transfer portal, and now we don’t have to worry about this position.