Football

Illini land defensive lineman Isaiah Thomison from transfer portal

Thomison latest transfer to join new-look front seven

By Brendan Gallian, Sports Editor • Jan 17, 2026

The Illini run onto the field ahead of the team’s game against the Southern California Trojans on Sept. 27, 2025.

Illinois reportedly added to its defensive line Saturday morning, signing three-star Isaiah Thomison, according to 247Sports’ Jeremy Werner.

Thomison spent the 2025 season at Bowling Green, where he racked up 12 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and two fumble recoveries in 10 games.

The lineman spent the previous two seasons at Memphis but didn’t make any appearances.

Thomison projects to be a part of a new-look front seven for Illinois this coming season. The team lost James Thompson Jr. and Gentle Hunt to graduation, and Angelo McCullom and Tomiwa Durojaiye, among others, to the transfer portal.

The Illini added redshirt freshman transfer Connor Sullivan to their defensive line earlier this month and could still be looking to add more as the portal window nears an end.

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About the Contributors

Brendan Gallian, Sports Editor

Hey, I’m Brendan. I’m a junior journalism major from Oak Lawn, Illinois. I like telling stories,and try my best to express that through writing. I’m minoring in history, and I enjoy studying local history both here in Champaign-Urbana and back home in Oak Lawn. I’m also a baseball nut, long-suffering White Sox fan and a proud Eagle Scout.

Sam Rink, Assistant Photo Editor

Hi! I’m Sam Rink, and I am a junior studying journalism and minoring in critical film production and gender & women’s studies. I started working at Illini Media Company in Fall 2023 as a staff photographer for the Illio, and I became the Senior Photographer for both the Illio and The Daily Illini in Spring 2024. Now, I’m the Assistant Photo Editor for both publications! Multimedia journalism is a huge passion of mine, so you might see my work in other publications around Champaign-Urbana. You can check out more of my photography or contact me through my socials or email linked below.