Since the NCAA transfer portal opened on Dec. 9, the Illini have acquired seven athletes to add to their roster for next season. After a nine-win season, head coach Bret Bielema put in the work to begin building another high-caliber squad, knowing that many valuable players would depart from the team after this year. 

Portal acquisitions

Among these portal transfers are three defensive linemen whose strengths will be needed with the exits of vital players. Juniors Curt Neal and Tomiwa Durojaiye and senior James Thompson Jr. will work under the guise of defensive coordinator Aaron Henry and defensive line coach Terrance Jamison. Neal and Thompson Jr. come from conference rival Wisconsin, so their familiarity with the Big Ten should be helpful next season. 

Additionally, Illinois brought in senior outside linebacker Leon Lowery Jr. from Wisconsin and JUCO junior linebacker transfer Ismael Kante. With these additions and the existing guards, sacks should be plentiful, and Illinois’ run defense should minimize opponents’ yardage in 2025.

Finally, the Illini obtained senior quarterback Ethan Hampton and junior wide receiver Justin Bowick. Bowick played this past season at Ball State and was third on his team in receiving yards, even though he only played in four games. As for Hampton, he threw for 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns at Northern Illinois. He stayed local and will now back up junior quarterback Luke Altmyer. 

These supplements will be necessary; however, the Illini still need to find some missing pieces to maximize their potential. 

Must-have No. 1: Tough offensive linemen

Altmyer is returning for another year and needs protection in the pocket. Senior offensive linemen Zy Crisler and Kevin Wigenton II entered the transfer portal, and senior J.C. Davis may depart from the team after this season. With so many veteran players exiting, the Illini must add reliable sources of physicality. 

Guys like sophomore Brandon Henderson and junior Josh Gesky have shown their strengths in reps and should return to Illinois, but they can’t do the job alone. The Illini have loads of talent in their running back unit, and they need the right linemen on the field to block and give them space. When the second transfer portal window opens in April, Illinois must hit it hard to find additional linemen to fuel the fire on offense.

Must-have No. 2: Veteran receiver

Illinois’ running back room is set, but with departures from senior wide receivers Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, questions remain on who the go-to receiver will be in 2025. There’s talent in redshirt freshman Collin Dixon and sophomore Malik Elzy, but they’re largely inexperienced. 

The Illini need a tall, athletic receiver with valuable experience playing at a distinguished program. Bowick will be a great option, but the more depth the team has, the better. Altmyer should trust that the guy he’s throwing to will catch the ball with ease. If the Illini can get another competent receiver in the portal next year, they should not worry about the holes left by guys leaving the team. 

Must-have No. 3: Elite cornerback

Illinois has some impressive defensive backs — there’s no doubt about that. However, the Illini need another Devon Witherspoon — a cornerback who can run fast, play excellent man-to-man coverage and pick off opponents at any given moment. Bringing an electric playstyle to Illinois would be the cherry on top for the 2025 season. 

This isn’t to say that Illinois’ existing cornerbacks aren’t enough. Junior defensive backs Xavier Scott and Torrie Cox Jr. had a phenomenal year and will likely have another solid season for their senior campaigns. With that said, adding another agile cornerback with immense speed to handle the competition of Big Ten play would be delightful for the Illini. It’d be takeaway after takeaway and complementary football every single game.

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