If you aren’t excited about the Illinois football program moving forward, then I don’t know what you are watching.
The Illini have all of the momentum in the world, and that has a lot to do with how Bret Bielema has constructed the roster. One of his first orders of business was to solidify the offensive line. Since he arrived in Champaign, Bielema has made sure to bolster the offensive line to help the offense be more productive.
Heading into the 2025 season, Illinois has a really good offensive line. Josh Kreutz and JC Davis will anchor a starting five that will be one of the best in the Big Ten. But sadly, we are going to lose nearly all of our starting offensive line after the season. That is why landing someone like Owen Fors would help fill the voids in the future.
On Wednesday, Jeremy Werner of 247Sports reported that Illinois is now in line for an official visit from Fors. According to 247Sports, he took an official visit to Northwestern this weekend. He will then take an official visit to Illinois on the weekend of June 6. Indiana will be his next stop the following weekend.
Three-star Barrington (Ill.) offensive lineman Owen Fors has locked in an official visit with #illini for June, he told @IlliniOn247.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) May 29, 2025
Fors has long been a priority for Illinois in the Class of 2026.https://t.co/B8CyWMAiZc
This would be a sneaky good pick-up for Illinois. Fors is a 6-foot-4, 290-pound interior offensive lineman from Barrington High School in Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 97 interior offensive lineman in the country. Fors is also the No. 28 player coming out of Illinois.
Depth is going to be a big concern on the offensive line for the Illinois football program
I know that the Illinois offensive line is going to be great in 2025, but I am a little worried about what we are going to see during the 2026 season. I know that is a while away, but Bielema is going to have some work to do.
Illinois is going to lose our starting center, both offensive tackles, and a guard. That is a lot to replace. The backups don’t have much experience either. The transfer portal is going to be huge next offseason, and landing players like Fors will help give us more bodies and depth.
I don’t see Fors starting in the first couple of seasons, but this will give him time to develop on the field and in the weight room. He has a lot of potential, and this recruitment is one to keep an eye on in the next month or so.