Illinois defensive back Tyler Strain has entered the transfer portal, 247Sports has learned. On3’s Pete Nakos was the first to report the news. Strain will have one season of eligibility remaining.
- Strain played in seven games last season with five tackles. He played in 35 career games with 57 tackles, 1.0 TFLs, three interceptions and nine passes defensed.
- He did not play after the Week 9 game at Oregon. Strain played 75 snaps this season.
- Strain was the No. 1534-ranked player in the Class of 2021 and signed with Illinois after former head coach Lovie Smith was hired and before head coach Bret Bielema was hired.
Why it matters: Strain is the second player to enter the portal this spring, joining running back Josh McCray. Illinois, like other programs nationally, needs to get to the roster limit of 105 players. That means players, mostly walk-ons or scholarship players buried on the depth chart, will be on the move this spring. Strain will likely look for a place to start in his final season of college football.
What it means: Strain had spent time in and out of the two deep, and the coaching staff during the offseason raved about Strain and his potential impact this season. That never manifested. He was behind Xavier Scott and Tyson Rooks at the nickel role and behind Kaleb Patterson, Torrie Cox Jr. and Jaheim Clarke at outside cornerback. Tanner Heckel also rose up the depth chart this spring at cornerback. The Illini have intriguing young talent in Amar Reynolds, Vernon Woodward, Xanai Scott, RJ Jones III and incoming freshman Tywan Cox. Strain had some positive reps — his 2023 season included 36 tackles, an interception and four passes defensed — during his career. On the whole, Illinois seems content leaning into its younger defensive backs that it remains very high on both in the short and long term, especially at nickel.
What is the NCAA transfer portal?
The transfer portal is an online database that players will enter their name into if they decide to pursue a transfer. Players notify their current school’s compliance office that they wish to put their name into the portal — typically, players’ names show up within 48 hours. Coaches have access to the database and can contact any player who has entered.
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