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Illinois looking to bolster defensive line with Florida defensive lineman

Bret Bielema likes the trenches, and he is trying to build the Illinois football front lines.
ByRees Woodcock|
Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

There has been a lot of positive in the Bret Bielema era of Illinois football.

You can pinpoint so many things during Bielema’s stretch with the Illini, but I would argue the brightest spot of his coaching tenure in Champaign was the heights Jer’Zhan Newton reached.

Newton was one of the best defensive linemen in the history of the Illinois program. The All-American then went on to be drafted into the NFL.

Illinois is trying to replicate that success by recruiting talented defensive linemen. One of the most recent options is Zylen Little. On Tuesday, Little took to social media to announce that he has received a scholarship offer from the Illini.

Little is a 6-foot-1.5, 290-pound defensive lineman from Carrollwood Day High School in Florida. He isn’t rated or ranked just yet, as he is from the class of 2028. Little’s star is rising, though. He has roughly eight scholarship offers, with some of the biggest programs being Colorado and Missouri.

Illinois looking to build depth on the defensive line with Zylen Little

Since Newton left the Illinois program, Bielema has hit the transfer portal hard. The Illini defensive line is pretty much all built from incoming transfers, and then the backups are recruited players.

Heading into next season, Illinois is looking at James Thompson Jr., Tomiwa Durojaiye, Gentle Hunt, and Curt Neal as the main contenders on the defensive line. All four are transfer players.

Down the road, it would be nice to bring up some young guys and have them make an impact. In 2028, landing someone like Little would help continue building that depth. Illinois has a chance to have a nice mix of youth and experience. The defensive line will start becoming a strength once again.

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