It has been an incredible roller coaster of a season thus far for the Illinois football program.
This time two weeks ago, the Illini were rolling, moving to 3-0 and being ranked No. 9 in the country. This time last week, the fanbase was questioning everything, as we lost by 53 points and dropped outside the top 20.
After a big win on Saturday over No. 21 USC, the Illini are hitting their stride again. This program is back on track. But just as the roller coaster is on the ascent, it starts to come back down again.
Despite the big win over the Trojans, bad news broke on Saturday as well. Steve Wiltfong of On3.com reported that Illinois wide receiver Malik Elzy has decided to take a redshirt and will enter the transfer portal after the 2025 campaign.
In the report by Wiltfong, Elzy’s agent says this is a move that will “…fully develop and prepare himself to maximize his potential…”
Illinois WR Malik Elzy asked to red-shirt and will enter the transfer portal following the season.
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) September 27, 2025
"This is a strategic move to fully develop and prepare himself to maximize his potential for the rest of his college career.”
Story: https://t.co/RNyRHSXB3x pic.twitter.com/Cph1lPTIsH
Coming out of Simeon in Chicago, Elzy was supposed to be Illinois’ big get from the 2023 class. He was a four-star recruit who was the No. 229 player in the country. But the 6-foot-2 wide receiver never caught on.
For his career, Elzy has a combined 16 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He was having his best season in 2025, as he had amassed seven catches for 84 yards through five games.
It was this season or never for Malik Elzy on the Illinois football roster
The news of Elzy departing the program for the transfer portal is pretty disappointing. When you have a former top recruit in a recruiting class who leaves before he burns his eligibility, it is always a sad moment.
Elzy just never developed in the Illinois depth chart. I understand the first couple of years on the roster when we had players like Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin ahead of him. But this season should have been his breakout year.
The fact that Elzy couldn’t get the starting nod or at least wasn’t a clear No. 1 at his wide receiver role tells me that there is something off with him in Champaign. At the end of the day, this decision is probably best for both parties.