The Illinois football team was expecting to return nine starters on defense from an extremely young unit in 2013.

The Illini will have an unexpected hole to fill, however, as LEO Houston Bates announced he would be spending his final season closer to home in Louisiana.

With Bates gone, the Illini have to replace production at the LEO position, a hybrid defensive end-outside linebacker position. Bates was second on the team last season with 12 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks and led the team with five quarterback hits.

To fill the void, the competition this spring is between senior Dejazz Woods and sophomore Dawuane Smoot, with freshman Carroll Phillips set to join the fray as a true freshman in the fall.

Though Bates being gone gives more of an opportunity to players like Woods and Smoot, Woods said nothing would be different if Bates was still with the program.

“I feel like if he was still here, I’d be competing with him,” Woods said. “You got to compete every day. It would have been the same situation; you’ve got to come out here and compete.”

Woods and Smoot both saw playing time in 2013, with Woods earning 17 tackles and Smoot putting up eight to go with one sack. It was the first significant playing time for both players as Smoot was a true freshman and Woods saw action in just three games in the 2011 and 2012 seasons combined and recorded two tackles.

“Smoot has definitely had three really good days of practice,” head coach Tim Beckman said. “Dejazz has, too, but Smoot is showing us some things, especially in the pass rush.”

The responsibilities of the LEO differ slightly from a traditional defense end, as the LEO has to be able to drop into the flat on occasion for passing situations, akin to a 3-4 outside linebacker. The Illini want an athletic player as their LEO that excels at rushing the passer but is quick and agile enough to drop into pass coverage in a pinch. Along with the STAR, a hybrid linebacker-safety position, it gives the Illini defense the multiplicity to be able to shift to a 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 shell without changing personnel on the field.

Woods has the experience, being a fifth-year senior, and has helped Smoot mature in only his second season in Champaign.

“He’s always right in my ear, every single day telling me what I got to do,” Smoot said. “He brings great leadership.”

Smoot was recruited to be a LEO from high school, where he played a little bit of linebacker, though he didn’t entirely know what the position was.

“At first, I had to ask Coach (Seamonson) to explain it,” Smoot said. “He just said we’re a more athletic defensive end, we have to drop out into the flat.”

Woods said having a competition between two players of similar skill level is pushing each other to new levels each day.

“It’s always one thing you’re trying to do better than him in every subject of the game, so that’s what we’ve been trying to do. Get one up on each other,” Woods said. “It’s very productive. You can’t come out here slacking one day. You’ve got to come out and practice every day and practice hard. It forces you to get better.”

Stephen can be reached at [email protected] and @steve_bourbon.