Top 10 most painful Illinois football transfer portal departures of all time

9. Lou Dorsey

The class of 2017 was good to the Illinois football team, as it produced some talented players. One of the budding superstars of that class was tight end Lou Dorsey.

Dorsey wasn’t the highest-rated player, as he checked in as a three-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 991 player in the class of 2017. But he was wanted by numerous big-time programs like Baylor and Florida State.

Illinois ended up landing Dorsey. As a freshman, he was incredible. Dosey finished his first year in college with 22 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns. After that great freshman campaign, the sky was the limit for this kid.

Dorsey then got in the way of himself. He was suspended in the spring for a violation of team rules. He then violated team rules again and was suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season.

After the sixth game in 2018, Dorsey decided he was done at Illinois. He entered the transfer portal. Dorsey ended up with Iowa Western Community College where he had a total of six receptions for 60 yards. He then went back into the transfer portal in 2020 as a top 100 transfer. Dorsey ended up with Florida Atlantic but never got his career off the ground.

Dorsey transferring pains me because he unraveled by his own doing. If this kid just stays out of trouble, he has an incredible career with the Illini. He could have been one of the best tight ends in program history. Instead, he gets in trouble and transfers out.