Illinois football making the offensive line a priority in the transfer portal

Illinois football is focused on building out the offensive line, and the transfer portal is the way to go when it comes to solidifying a unit.

In 2024, the Illini had an okay offensive line. JC Davis was by far the best option we had, and he was a third-team All-Big Ten tackle for the Orange and Blue. Davis might be gone, but he could still come back thanks to a ruling that allows junior college players to have an extra year of eligibility.

Illinois still needs more depth and to build that depth, we need to land talent. There are many lines in the water at this point, and one of the lines is trying to catch Ayden Knapik.

Knapik is a 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive tackle who is currently in the transfer portal. He is a three-star transfer portal recruit who is the No. 285 transfer portal player in the country. He is also the No. 22 transfer portal offensive tackle.

The talented offensive tackle walked on to the Idaho football team back in 2022. He then built his way up to playing in his sophomore campaign. This past season, Knapik had his best year yet, playing 833 snaps and ranking as the No. 266 offensive tackle out of every program in college football.

Ayden Knapik would be a perfect addition to the Illinois football offensive line

From the look of things, Illinois could have the vast majority of the offensive line back in 2025. We have a lot of experience up front, but that doesn’t mean we can’t add more depth.

Adding someone like Knapik would be huge. He would be a great insurance policy in case someone gets hurt, and I think Knapik would push for snaps immediately. He is a really talented blocker, especially when it comes to pass blocking. That was a weakness for the Illini in 2024.

Hopefully, Illinois can land more offensive line talent for the 2025 campaign. We need bodies up front, and Knapik would be a perfect option.