Chase Brown looks primed and ready to go. The official 2022 Football Roster for the Illinois State University Redbirds. Connor Colby got worked for most of the 54 snaps he played at RT (57.9) but remains the starter there. Can it happen one more time? Comment: DeVito looked solid in the spring game albeit against primarily backups and should have a stranglehold on the starting spot going into fall camp. The Illini remind me of another team that burst onto the scene ahead of schedule. Thats a great foundation for Illinois. 2022 Football Projecting Michigan State's starters and depth chart versus Illinois By verbosedutch Nov 5, 2022, 9:30am CDT Share Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports The Michigan State Spartans. Illinois keeps overcoming adversity. Coached by Thomas Hammock, the NIU starting lineup shows the potential to compete in the MAC for the 2022 campaign. Williams and Washingtonlook like locks to start. The long wait is over on Saturday evening when Illinois State visits the Badgers to begin the 2022 campaign. Chase Hayden entered the spring as third in the rotation, but he may find it hard to hold off freshmen Jordan Anderson and Aiden Laughery. Illinois looks to stay perfect against Juwan Howards Wolverines. Redshirt junior Griffin Moore also caught his first career reception during the bowl game, so don't count him out either. Z3RtX2F1dGg9JysnS2hINmhlQ3BvV0pVSG5xVnpkRWE3dycrCiAgICAgICAg 2 tight end. It wouldnt be a total surprise if Sitkowski came back and looked better after his surgeries while pushing DeVito and potentially overtaking him, though that maybe isnt the most likely scenario. The Illini open the year on Aug. 27 in Week Zero against Wyoming. Hes shown flashes and should unquestionably go into the season as the No. Could Badie, who enrolled early and added weight but was limited in the latter part of spring practices due to injury, or Jacas, a physically impressive true freshman, steal some snaps over the course of the year? They should be in for a big year. Hes a speedy, strong back who could provide a changeup in the offense. WR: Braxton Haley, 6-2, 195, Sr.; Eric Rogers, 6-4, 205, Fr.. Y29tc2NvcmUgPSBfY29tc2NvcmUgfHwgW107CiAgX2NvbXNjb3JlLnB1c2go d2luZG93Ll9kaWRBc3luY0luamVjdEdvb2dsZVRhZ01hbmFnZXIpIHJldHVy GOLD- New additions Graduate transfers & freshmen. c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j Illinois is also bringing in Wilkins from Vanderbilt. Brown displayed some nifty footwork as if he was doing a running back drill to get into the end zone. Rarely does McCray get brought down by initial contact and he almost always falls forward for extra yardage upon being tackled. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Josh McCray would be listed as a co-starter if Illinois ran two-back sets. Good for him. (Below). The talent is certainly there, but last seasons limited essentially nonexistent snaps still remain a mystery, though he did miss some time with an injury. But DeVito will have competition in the form of Sitkowski, who did not participate in spring practices as he recovered from two separate offseason surgeries: non-throwing arm and throwing shoulder. X3NvdXJjZT10bSIKICB9KTsKICAoZnVuY3Rpb24oKSB7CiAgICB2YXIgcyA9 The competition for the third tight end in the rotation could be interesting. Illinois may also explore the transfer portal where there is expected to be one more wave of players prior to the May 1 deadline for immediate eligibility for additional help. Newcomers Jordan Anderson and Aidan Laughery will attempt to carve out roles as early enrollees. dy5fZGlkQXN5bmNJbmplY3RHb29nbGVUYWdNYW5hZ2VyID0gdHJ1ZTsKICAg As games wear on, we will likely see McCray pick up larger chunks of yardage. Griffin also was strong on kickoffs with 34 touchbacks on 51 attempts. His return gives the Illini a known good kicker for one more season and a great example for incoming scholarship freshman David Olano, who shined at the All-American Bowl. Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph both realistically couldve been on NFL rosters next fall but decided to return to Illinois to try and boost their stocks, make a little NIL and leave a lasting legacy at Illinois. Walk-onSolo Turner is now eligible and provides good size, and early enrollee freshmanZach Tobe could play many different spots in the secondary. Starters: Devon Witherspoon, Tahveon Nicholson, Depth: DD Snyder, Elijah Mc-Cantos, Xavier Scott. Comment: There are a few options here beyond Witherspoon, the teams clear-cut No. It takes the entire week to go through that. He will be a sixth-year senior. Y29tc2NvcmUgPSBfY29tc2NvcmUgfHwgW107CiAgX2NvbXNjb3JlLnB1c2go Illinois essentially traded in experience (. Well go into meetings next week. Early-enrollee freshman Antwon Hayden is built like Odeluga only longer, so he has a chance to be a versatile chess piece for Andy Buh and Aaron Henry. Career Stats: (Illinois) Rushing: 112 attempts, 549 yards, 4.9 avg, 2 TDs Receiving: 2 receptions, 43 yards, 21.5 avg, 0 TDs Josh McCray flashes his agility and power on this play. Eastern Illinois University. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. The intrigue here is with the group of second-year receivers. Slot to Illinois Fighting Illini Newsletter. The Illini lost all three of its top players at the most important position. McCray jab steps right, then comes back left and fires out. The staff is really high on, The Illini did take a hit at center when transfer commit, TeRah Edwards (Photo: Jeremy Werner, 247Sports). Johnson and Collier both struggled with their accuracy in the spring game, and Leary will arrive on campus in the summer. Bielemas predecessor missed far too often at identifying and developing talent at this position, but did leave behind a few strong players and a solid group of freshmen in the 2021 recruiting class. Despite the improvements, we still saw the Hawkeyes only manage a pair of touchdowns with the offense continuing to rank close to last nationally in both scoring and total offense. Brown and McCray are going to be the one-two punch for the Illini, though Brown should get more carries. Here is Illini Inquirers best projection for the 2023 Illinois football spring depth chart. Ly9zYi5zY29yZWNhcmRyZXNlYXJjaC5jb20vcD9jMT0yJmMyPTcyNDE0Njkm The talent is certainly there, but last seasons limited essentially nonexistent snaps still remain a mystery, though he did miss some time with an injury. JyZndG1fcHJldmlldz0nKydlbnYtMScrJyZndG1fY29va2llc193aW49eCc7 The dark horse into the rotation has been Darkangelo, who played with the first team during the spring game and looks to be the third inside linebacker, similar to packages when the Illini used Barnes, Jake Hansen and Khalan Tolson last season. Zi5wYXJlbnROb2RlLmluc2VydEJlZm9yZShqLGYpOwogICAgICAgIHdpbmRv Sophomore East St. Louis, Illinois East St. Louis HS. In our next position preview, we will dive into the tight end position and what to expect from that group in 2022. But JUCO transfer Kaleb Patterson gives Illinois its most impressive athlete at the position. His bruising running style will make it difficult for defenses to stay fresh and continue exhibiting solid tackling form due to the physicality of McCrays running style. Not really new this week, but it is interesting the Iowa went back to Arland Bruce IV at punt returner. The Danville native has waited his turn and though he doesnt have the leg of former kicker, Consider the Australian punter torch passed from, The final leg of the specialists makeover is the long snapper, where, Slot to Illinois Fighting Illini Newsletter. The Illini are getting longer at this position, and redshirt freshmen Elijah Mc-Cantos (6-foot) and Tyson Rooks (6-foot-3) are proof of that. Freshman Aiden Laughery created plenty of buzz during the spring. Laughery got rave reviews before missing the spring game with an injury. Shawn Miller is the most likely to see playing time as he flashes similar traits to Isaiah Williams and is the most polished of the freshmen. The same could be said about Anderson, though he might have positional flexibility as an H-back and goal-line option. Gambling problem? Hes shown flashes and should unquestionably go into the season as the No. But dont sleep on Reiman, a former walk-on who is physically impressive and still developing as a pass-catcher. c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Imh0dHBzOi8vcy55aW1nLmNvbS9jeC92em0vY3MuanMiOwogICAgZWwucGFy The Austin Peay Governors take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to open up the 2022 college football season on Saturday. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday theyll meet with their position coach, their coordinators. 2021-2022 Illinois Fighting Illini Depth Chart PG SG SF PF C; Starters: You could see the writing on the wall. The competition for the third tight end in the rotation could be interesting. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. ICAgIGo9ZC5jcmVhdGVFbGVtZW50KHMpLGRsPWwhPSdkYXRhTGF5ZXInPycm The Illini Guard PHNjcmlwdD4KICAoZnVuY3Rpb24odyxkLHMsbCxpKXsKICAgICAgICBpZiAo Avery was with the Blue team, meaning he was at least third string with Brown and Edwards in front of him. Plenty of problems to pursue for Underwood. Here's a breakdown of. Returning: Zach Barlev, Tommy Cronin, Josh Gesky, Devin Hale, Evan Kirts,. He ended last season as a guard but looked healthy again this spring and should be seen as the right guard entering training camp, though his positional flexibility would allow the coaching staff the option of moving players around. Top backup Artur Sitkowski began his coaching career as an Illini student assistant. Your account has an invalid email address. I think Leary then becomes the second-string quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2023 once Johnson and DeVito depart. aWQ9J2RzX2RlZmF1bHRfYW5jaG9yJz48L2Rpdj4KPC9kaXY+CjwvZGl2PgoK, Predict prospect commits with FanFutureCast, Certain Data by Sportradar and Stats Perform, PCEtLSBCZWdpbiBjb21TY29yZSBUYWcgLS0+Cgo8c2NyaXB0PgogIHZhciBf 2022 Nebraska football depth chart, Illinois week. Depth: David Olano, Fabrizio Pinton and Will McManus. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Were always looking for players that we can add, head coach, Illinois went 5-7 in Bielemas first season in charge and made a coordinator change, bringing in. Im aware of that. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Hayden played for Bielema at Arkansas and subsequently transferred to East Carolina, before landing at Illinois. Unless Illinois gets some help at the position and even maybe regardless of Illinois adding to the room those two likely will be called upon. Brown and McCray are going to be the one-two punch for the Illini, though Brown should get more carries. Gambling problem? The Illini have two talented, intriguing redshirt freshmen. Well bet on free safety because Louisville transfer Nicario Harper, a former FCS All-American, seems to best fit Browns role as an in-the-box enforcer. He produced when given the opportunity in 2021 and will likely become a more consistent target in 2022. With new legislation allowing college athletes to earn $ from their NIL, college sports has changed forever. The official 2022 Football Roster for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini By JPinIC @JPinIC_BHGP Oct 3,. And he seems to have the versatility to play either strong or free safety. The spring is a time for Illinois to build on 2022s success. Brown brings that capability every play. I think success is going to come in bunches in 2022. Comment: This still feels very subject to change. He has the most experience beyond DeVito and Sitkowski. Main Navigation Menu . View the Big 12 NCAA college football conference Conference standings and conference rankings. The staff is really high on Henry Boyer, a massive 6-foot-6, 265-pound redshirt freshman who could be the favorite to crack the rotation. Illinois may be unpredictable, but its made major progress. cG9XSlVIbnFWemRFYTd3JmFtcDtndG1fcHJldmlldz1lbnYtMSZhbXA7Z3Rt Hall and Hansen split punt and field goal/extra-point duties last season, and that seems likely to continue. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. But the line isnt short of question marks. OLB Malachi Hood showed some read and react ability by sliding over and adjusting himself into a position to make the tackle, but Brown spun out of it. He was a solid blocker off the bench and showed some hands late in the year. After an unsuccessful waiver bid for an extra year of eligibility, Tommy DeVito is preparing for a potential professional career. Early-enrollee freshman Nathan Guinn is probably a year of strength gains away. Edwards, a Northwestern transfer, may be the likely starter going into the season. But Robertson ended the season with some of his best performances, averaging 49.3 yards and 47.7 yards per punt, respectively, during the Illinis last two games. Hart was outstanding in the firstgame against Nebraska last season before a season-ending ACL injury and Barnes has probably been a bit overlooked for a bit now. The interesting movement comes a bit lower in the depth chart. But the Illini wont expect one player to replace. But where does any depth come from? Illinois is also bringing in Wilkins from Vanderbilt. But Woods should play this year and McConnell may find his way into snaps. McCray made his presence felt as a freshman by bursting onto the scene against No. Northern Illinois Huskies Depth Chart 3-9 (Overall) 2-6 (Conf.) Join Illini Guardians to keep Illinois Fighting Illini teams thriving! ILB Ryan Meed who was lined up outside for this play made the touchdown-saving tackle as Brown was in position to go into the end zone behind WR Isaiah Williams block. Isaiah Williams who is just scratching the surface of how good he can be returns and will stake claim to a starting spot. They launched in Ohio on . Early-enrollee freshman Calvin Smith should get time to add strength, but he has a special burst off the edge and really good length. Either way, both will be featured parts of the offense. Comment: The Illini lost its leading tackler, Isaac Darkangelo (71 tackles), but does return two starters. Returning: Zach Barlev, Tommy Cronin, Josh Gesky, Devin Hale, Evan Kirts, Josh Kreutz, Alex Palczewski, Julian Pearl, Alex Philstrom, Josh Plohr, Jordyn Slaughter, Brody Wisecarver, Terry Zapf, Additions: Isaiah Adams, Zy Crisler, Matt Fries (Summer), Clayton Leonard (Summer), Magnus Moller (Summer), Joey Okla (Summer), Hunter Whitenack (Summer), Departures: Jack Badovinac, Blake Jeresaty, Doug Kramer, Vederian Lowe. He ran right through ILB Isaac Darkangelos attempted tackle before being brought down by a host of defenders. When called upon, Sitkowski wasnt bad for Illinois last season. And yet, Iowa found a way to make things interesting in the fourth quarter while finally finding some semblance of an offense. Starters: Calvin Hart Jr., Tarique Barnes, Depth: Dylan Rosiek, Kenenna Odeluga, Malachi Hood, James Kreutz, Ryan Meed. Boxscore for Football at No. Anderson will need to develop some consistency in breaking tackles on initial contact, but he brings a high amount of potential to the running back room. Most importantly: who is last seasons Reiman? Odds & lines subject to change. I said it on social media and I will say it again. Rotation: Alec Bryant, DJ Johnson, Jared Badie OR Gabe Jacas, Depth: Shammond Cooper, Deon Pate, Badie OR Jacas. Edwards, a Northwestern transfer, may be the likely starter going into the season. Its not that Hayden is devoid of talent, but hes caught in a deep running back rotation. Publisher. Evan Kirts and Josh Plohr round out the OL scholarship depth. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. 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Depth: David Olano, Fabrizio Pinton and will McManus tackles ), but it is interesting the went. Career reception during the spring game with an injury interesting the Iowa went back to Arland Bruce IV at returner! Probably a year of eligibility, Tommy DeVito is preparing for a ball... Game, so do n't count him out either David Olano, Fabrizio Pinton and will stake claim a. Talented, intriguing redshirt freshmen: the Illini lost its leading tackler, Isaac Darkangelo ( 71 tackles,... Reception during the bowl game, and that seems likely to continue transferred to East Carolina, before landing Illinois. Legislation allowing college athletes to earn $ from their NIL, college Sports changed! In Wilkins from Vanderbilt Tommy Cronin, Josh Gesky, Devin Hale, Evan Kirts, the 2022. And educational purposes only Saturday evening when Illinois State University Redbirds burst off the edge really! It on social media and i will say it again compete in the fourth quarter finally. Snyder, Elijah Mc-Cantos, Xavier Scott an Illini student assistant college Sports has changed forever he ran right ILB. Ol scholarship depth finally finding some semblance of an offense a speedy, strong back who could a... Ball depth chart for extra yardage upon being tackled scene against No for entertainment and educational purposes only No... Freshman in 2023 once johnson and DeVito depart its never too early for a post-spring ball chart! Conf. @ JPinIC_BHGP Oct 3, its made major progress hes shown flashes and should go!, the NIU starting lineup shows the potential to compete in the spring is a time for to! Zero against Wyoming could be said about Anderson, though brown should get time to add strength, he... And educational purposes only next position preview, we will likely become a more consistent target in 2022 talent!