Illinois football secures a big-bodied transfer portal wide receiver

Illinois football has been buzzing since the transfer portal opened on January 2, with quarterback Katin Houser headlining an already stout top-25 class.

It has been an embarrassment of riches for Bielema and the Illini as they try to rebuild from the mass departures that left the program. Whether it's the addition of Jake Renfro and Christian Martin on offense, or Lavon Williams on defense, this team is steadily getting back to full strength to start the offseason.

There is still one major problem that Illinois faces to this day, and that is at the wide receiver position. With the likes of Hank Beatty, graduation, and Justin Bowick, transfer, leaving the team, they need to find more pass-catchers to group around Houser next season.

Thankfully, they continued their quest yesterday with the commitment of former Ball State wideout Ty Robinson.

Robinson, who has one year of eligibility left, was ranked as the No. 68 athlete in the country coming out of high school. He was supposed to be a pivotal part of Ball State's offense, but a litany of injuries (thumb, shoulder, lower leg) stalled his development with the team.

In the 15 games he did play, Robinson ended up recording 22 receptions for 293 yards and two touchdowns. It was a performance that you would expect him to give in roughly half of one season, but his inability to stay on the field limited his potential.

Can the transfer portal wide receiver turn his misfortunes around with the Illinois football team

After reading what Robinson has gone through over his last three seasons, it's hard for an Illini fan to see a silver lining in the transfer. The thought of bringing in someone who's only played 15 games in three years just sounds like a throwaway decision.

That, however, is not the case with Robinson. The 6-foot-4, 202-pound Colorado product has all of the makings of a legit red-zone threat for Bret Bielema. He has what it takes to be the big-bodied human that Houser can throw to in a pinch, as he will be the tallest receiver on the roster after the departure of Bowick.

To be fair, this can all end up being a failed experiment. But with Houser only having one year of eligibility left, and the Illini lacking depth, giving Robinson a shot just seems like the right play here. Let's see what he can do, and if he doesn't perform, he's out at year's end.