Illinois football has done a great job in the transfer portal thus far, and that continued on Friday.
Coming into the weekend, the Illini had landed 15 transfer portal players for the 2025 campaign. The additions weren’t random either. Bret Bielema went out and specifically plucked players from the portal who would help fill voids left by talent issues or player departures.
On Friday night, Illinois added another player from the transfer portal. Christian Abney took to social media to announce he picked the Illini as his landing spot.
God is good! Next chapter. pic.twitter.com/9wzaUfiQM0
— Christian Abney (@abney_christian) May 2, 2025
Coming out of Zionsville High School in Indiana, Abney was a three-star recruit who was the No. 2180 player in the class of 2023. He was also the No. 130 quarterback in the country and the No. 32 player in the state of Indiana.
Abney chose Ball State as his landing spot out of high school. With the Cardinals, he flipped over to tight end and spent the last two seasons amassing eight receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Illinois football is getting substance with the addition of Christian Abney from the transfer portal
When a tight end is added, I automatically think the Illinois offense is getting a pass-catching weapon. That isn’t the case with Abney, though. While he can catch the ball, this kid is more than just a receiver.
Illinois is getting a weapon in the form of someone who can open up the offense. Abney will be able to catch the ball, and I think we can use him and his 6-foot-5 size in the red zone. But he is also good at blocking.
This past season, Abney played a total of 413 snaps, and most of those were on the line of scrimmage. He finished his sophomore year with a run blocking grade of 59.8, which ranked No. 160 out of 451 tight ends in the college game.
At the end of the day, this addition might not show up a lot in the form of receptions or yards, but Abney will make an impact. His blocking and experience will help protect Luke Altmyer, open holes for Illinois’ running backs, and make the offense more efficient. I love this addition by the Illini.