CHAMPAIGN — Spring ball wasn’t exactly built for starters. Coaches know what they have in returning starters and players who have played hundreds, if not thousands of snaps at the collegiate level.
That’s especially true for an Illinois team that returns 16 of 22 offensive/defensive starters from a 10-win 2024 campaign and 18 starters from its Citrus Bowl victory.
That’s not to say those starters and proven veterans can’t get better during the spring, of course. Illinois will push to get even more out of its returning stars this spring — at least those who are healthy, including QB Luke Altmyer, OLB Gabe Jacas, DB Matthew Bailey and five returning starting offensive linemen.
But spring ball is far more critical for the development of the Illini’s less proven and younger players. Because the reps and time spent preparing the starters during the fall will now be invested far more into developing and improving depth this spring. With more than 15 players sidelined this spring with injuries, the healthy players will receive even more opportunities.
“My goal isn’t a game plan against our offense,” Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry said of spring ball. “My goal is to find out once spring is over — I know the guys who played for us last year obviously — but is there a guy that I didn’t have my eyes on and this guy’s going to be a player for us, whether it’s a rotational player or he’s in a backup role or he’s in a subpackage. That’s one of the key things that I think that we have to get out of spring defensively.”
With that in mind, let’s focus on six storylines worth following for Illini spring ball.
Three burning questions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OL | DL | OLBs | ILBs | DBs | ST
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