There is no position that is safe when it comes to the transfer portal, and the Illinois football team is experiencing that right now.
The festivities started with running back Josh McCray entering the transfer portal just days ago. On Thursday, cornerback Tyler Strain joined the fun, as he too entered the transfer portal. The Illini are now losing a special teamer.
On Thursday, Illinois kicker Ethan Moczulski decided to enter the fray and put his name into the transfer portal.
Entering the transfer portal with 2-3 years remaining. pic.twitter.com/kcXWMuPtl9
— Ethan Moczulski (@EthanMoczulski) April 17, 2025
Moczulski started his collegiate career off in 2022 at Texas A&M. He played a limited role for two seasons with the Aggies, and then he hit the transfer portal after the 2023 campaign. Illinois ended up landing the talented kicker.
In 2024, Moczulski was mainly the kickoff guy for the Illini. He did get a chance to kick two field goals, though. He missed one from 55 yards in the Minnesota game. That was his second attempt of the season. His first attempt was a historic one.
In the game against Central Michigan, Illinois was running out of time at the end of the first half. Instead of just throwing a Hail Mary, Bret Bielema put in Moczulski to see what type of leg he had. This was the first field goal attempt at Illinois, and he knocked it through the uprights. The field goal was a school record 59-yarder.
The Illinois football program should be fine at special teams after losing Ethan Moczulski to the transfer portal
I wish Moczulski nothing but the best moving forward. Illinois has a game plan for the special teams in 2025, and I would imagine he wasn’t going to be in those plans.
David Olano was the kicker for the Illini last season. He hit an impressive 85% on the year, and he only missed one extra point. Illinois is set at that position. As far as kickoff is concerned, I would imagine Olano could do that, or those duties could be handed off to Keelan Crimmins.
Crimmins was a huge transfer portal addition from Purdue. He will be handling the Illinois punting duties, as he was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season by both the coaches and media.
Losing a record holder to the transfer portal is disappointing, but this is probably going to be for the best on both sides. Illinois still looks great on special teams, and this could be a sneaky part of the team in 2025.