5 crucial positions Illinois football needs to address in the transfer portal

Middle Linebacker

The trend of this article has more to do with depth than the actual starters. I am pretty comfortable with what Illinois is putting out on the first string, but the second and third string is what makes me nervous.

Middle linebacker is another prime example of solid starters but depth being an issue. I like what Dylan Rosiek brings to the Illini. He is a solid middle linebacker who can cover the field and plays with grit. Illinois has had that type of linebacker for years.

I have Kenenna Odeluga as the other starting middle linebacker. He started five games for the Illini last season, and I think he is poised for a big season.

In the second string, I have Jojo Hayden seeing a lot of snaps, but he is just a redshirt freshman. I think his potential is through the roof. We just haven’t seen him in game action yet.

James Kreutz is the other backup middle linebacker. Again, I think Kreutz is a solid player, but I would like for Illinois to not have to rely on him as the primary backup.

There are depth issues at middle linebacker. Illinois needs to go out and get a solid middle linebacker who can push the starters and compete for snaps. We need more rotational talent, and we just don’t have that right now.