By Mark Pszonak
With action in the transfer portal slowing down, it is time to take a closer look at how each P4 school did during this cycle. Up now are the Illinois Fighting Illini
The skinny: After a 2022 season that saw Illinois finish at 8-5 (5-4 in Big Ten), the Illini stumbled last season at 5-7 (3-6 in Big Ten). This was a disappointment for everyone in Champaign, as there was hope that head coach Bret Bielema had turned the corner with the program. A few major additions were secured through the portal to help the Illini bounce back, but there are also some questions remaining. So will the Illini rebound this season or flounder their way to another middle-of-the-pack finish in the Big Ten?
Total # entries into portal: 27
Total # of scholarship players who entered portal: 19
Number of scholarship players who withdrew: 0
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Key losses: RB Reggie Love III (Purdue), OL Andrew Dennis (Michigan State), DB Zachary Tobe (Georgia Tech)
Key additions: DB Terrance Brooks (Texas), DL Dennis Briggs Jr. (Florida State), TE Cole Rusk (Murray State), OL J.C. Davis (New Mexico)
Final thoughts: Illinois pulled off one of the bigger surprises of the spring by adding Terrance Brooks, who was an important get after the Illini secondary had recently been depleted by exits to both the NFL and transfer portal. Brooks started 19 games during his two seasons at Texas and was scheduled to visit USC and Michigan before committing to the Illini. Illinois also had to replenish their defensive line, which saw a great deal of their production graduate or move to the NFL. Dennis Briggs Jr., an experienced veteran, will immediately help with that transition. On the offensive side of the ball, TE Cole Rusk has the potential to be one of the more productive FCS transfers of this cycle, while OL J.C. Davis was extremely effective during his two seasons as a starter with New Mexico.
