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Huge depth piece added to the Illinois offensive line from the transfer portal

Bret Bielema scored a huge transfer portal commitment on Saturday for the Illinois offense line.
ByRees Woodcock|
Sep 23, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the second half against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 23, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the second half against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

In the past couple of days, the Illinois football team lost some of its depth on the offensive line.

The Illini had offensive lineman Zach Aamland hit the transfer portal. He could have been in line for a nice backup job for the Orange and Blue, but now Illinois needs to find more depth.

On Saturday, Illinois received that depth. Tyler McMillan took to social media to announce that he has committed to the Illini.

McMillan is a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle who was a two-star coming out of River Rouge High School in Michigan. He committed to Mississippi Valley State in 2021. He then transferred to Northwestern State. McMillan then moved on to Southeast Missouri. He is now with the Illini.

Illinois football has snagged a very talented offensive lineman in Tyler McMillan from the transfer portal

This is a pretty good get for the Illini. McMillan isn’t just your average offensive tackle. He has improved each season with the program he was with, and this past year with SEMO, he had a big year.

McMillan graded out at 67.5 by Pro Football Focus. That is good enough to rank No. 201 out of 643 offensive tackles in all of college football. The best part of his game is his pass blocking, as he ranked No. 27 in the country in this department.

What is great about McMillan is the fact that Illinois needs better pass blocking. Our run blocking was great last season, but Luke Altmyer needs to remain upright.

At the end of the day, I think JC Davis and Melvin Priestly are still going to start for the Illini at the tackle positions. These two were solid last season, and they returned for one more year.

Illinois now has some depth at tackle. McMillan will be crucial for the Illini. If one of our tackles needs a break or goes down with an injury, we now have options. That is a great feeling.

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