Transfer portal claims Cheez-It Citrus Bowl star from the Illinois football program

While the 2024 season has been over for about four months now, the transfer portal is still showing its teeth.

Early in the offseason, the Illini looked pretty good when it came to transfer portal departures. We didn’t lose many players, and the ones that did depart weren’t big-time contributors.

While Illinois won’t have a spring game this year, the program is going through spring practice. This will help determine who will be in line for starting jobs and what the depth chart will look like in the fall.

The spring can also bring more transfer portal departures. We are seeing Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava making waves by demanding, essentially, a pay raise. He is now in the transfer portal because the Vols aren’t meeting his demands.

Well, on Tuesday, Illinois was too bit by the transfer portal. According to Hayes Fawcett of On3.com, Illinois running back Josh McCray is going to enter the transfer portal.

McCray spent four seasons with the Illini. He had a big year in 2021 as a true freshman with 549 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. The next two seasons saw McCray deal with multiple injuries. The running back was finally healthy in 2024, and he broke out in a big way.

This past season, McCray was a star for the Orange and Blue. He had 117 carries for 609 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also won the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl MVP by rushing for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

Josh McCray entering the transfer portal makes sense with the crowded Illinois football backfield

The departure of McCray is sad on the surface, but at the end of he day, I think this is going to be great for both Illinois and McCray.

I think McCray’s big performance in the Cheez-It Bowl got some eyes on him. He has a good chance to cash in within the next couple of weeks. I hope he gets a good deal and is a good player wherever he lands.

For the Illini, this opens the door for some of the big-time running backs waiting in the wings. Kaden Feagin is still with the program, and he is always a huge threat. Ca’Lil Valentine showed us a lot toward the end of last season as a true freshman. And Illinois still has Aidan Laughery, who is electric with the football.

These three are going to be the workhorses in 2025. Having four starting-caliber running backs would have been a little too much. McCray is now out, and this frees up the backfield greatly.