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Huge Illinois football recruiting target is entering the transfer portal

You don't always land a player the first time around, and now the Illinois football team has a chance to pull in a former four-star recruit out of the transfer portal.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Jamarion Morrow (23) runs a route as Auburn Tigers cornerback Donovan Starr (22) defends in coverage during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Jamarion Morrow (23) runs a route as Auburn Tigers cornerback Donovan Starr (22) defends in coverage during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Bret Bielema has made the Illinois football program matter when it comes to on and off the field.

The Illini have won eight games in a season in three out of the last four campaigns, and now we are doing well in the recruiting game. After numerous top 50 recruiting classes, Bielema was able to land a top 25 group for 2026.

This top 25 ranking doesn’t even include what Illinois could do in the transfer portal. The transfer portal officially opens January 2 and stays open for two weeks, closing on January 16.

Illinois has plenty of options on the market, and one of the biggest names in my book to keep an eye on entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.

According to the On3.com transfer portal social media account, Auburn cornerback Donovan Starr has entered the transfer portal. This comes nearly two months after the Tigers fired head coach Hugh Freeze.

Coming out of the class of 2025, Starr was a four-star recruit who was the No. 136 player in the class of 2025. He was also the No. 18 cornerback in the country and the best player coming out of Tennessee.

Illinois was hot and heavy for Starr when he was coming out of Ravenwood High School. The kid is originally from Bloomington, Illinois, and the Illini managed to snag an official visit when he was being recruited. He ended up picking Auburn as his landing spot, though.

With Starr in the transfer portal, and Illinois in desperate need of some cornerback help, it would only make sense for Bielema to make a push for a second chance at this former four-star recruit.

Illinois football would bolster the cornerback position with the addition of Donovan Starr

Starr didn’t rack up any stats while at Auburn. He played only on special teams, as he was just a freshman. But there is a ton of untapped potential waiting in the wings.

If he came to Illinois, Starr could unleash that potential in year one. He would instantly be the starter, as there is nothing on the roster right now that blows me away.

Torrie Cox Jr. is gone, as he is a senior. Juice Clarke will be a senior, and Tanner Heckel will enter his junior year. All three cornerbacks for the Illini ranked sub-440 among all cornerbacks in the college game.

Illinois has some talent coming into the program, too. Nick Hankins is our top overall recruit, a four-star who is the No. 124 player in the class of 2026. We also landed the top overall junior college cornerback, Jakwon Morris.

Hankins, Morris, and Starr would be quite the upgrade over what Illinois put on the field in 2025. This defensive unit could be pretty special, but we still have to land Starr. Let’s see if we can pull this kid in the second time around.

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