Illini Football Scholarship Chart - Bielema's Program with Future Roster Flexibility
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Despite a very active offseason, the University of Illinois football program under new head coach Bret Bielema still has a lot of roster and scholarship flexibility for future seasons.
According to the NCAA’s new rule mandating that players are being allowed to return for the 2021 campaign without any charged eligibility from the 2020 season. Therefore, Illinois will have 17 super seniors, the most of any Power 5 Conference school. Bielema’s Illini squad also returns 86 percent of its defensive starts from a year ago and 81 percent of its offensive starts.
Currently, Illini Now/Sports Illustrated has Illinois football at 96 scholarship players and that’s including all of the 17 “super seniors” returning for just one remaining year.
With the number of returnees being large, the NCAA isn’t limiting FBS programs to the normal 85 scholarship players rule but programs are required to get back to the number of 85 by the beginning of the 2022 season.
To make this transition easier to follow, Illini Now/SI has decided to set up this scholarship chart post for fans to understand by position group the eligibility remaining for each scholarship player. In the midst of doing so, it’s become clear that Illinois, due to former head coach Lovie Smith opening seasons with just 75-77 scholarship players to allow for heavy transfer portal recruiting, has a lot of flexibility to get back to the 85 scholarship player limit and still have a very fruitful 2022 recruiting class.
Without further ado…
ILLINOIS FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP CHART
Seniors - 21 (17 SUPER SENIORS)
Juniors - 18
Sophomores - 16
RS Freshmen - 25
Freshmen - 16
TOTAL - 96
QBs (6)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Brandon Peters - 1
Artur Sitkowski - 3
Matt Robinson - 3
Coran Taylor - 3
Gregory “Deuce” Spann - 4
Samari Collier - 4 + RS
RBs (8)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Chase Hayden - 2
Mike Epstein - 2 (NOTE: Epstein still not with team)
Jakari Norwood - 3
Chase Brown - 3
Nick Fedanzo - 4
Reggie Love - 4
Kyron Cumby - 4
Joshua McCray - 4 + RS
FB/H-Back (1)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Max Rosenthal - 2
WRs (11)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Jafar Armstrong - 1
Desmond Dan - 1
Donny Navarro - 2
Brian Hightower - 2
Khamri Thompson - 3
Carlos Sandy - 3
Dalevon Campbell - 3
Isaiah Williams - 4
Marquez Beason - 4
James Frenchie - 4
Patrick Bryant - 4 + RS
TEs (6)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Michael Marchese - 1
Daniel Barker - 2
Luke Ford - 2
Griffin Moore - 4
Mike Cerniglia Jr. - 4
Cooper Davis - 4
OL (19)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Alex Palczewski - 1
Doug Kramer - 1
Blake Jeresaty - 1
Vederian Lowe - 1
Alex Pihlstrom - 2
Verdis Brown - 3
Julian Pearl - 3
Jordyn Slaughter - 3
Moses Okpala - 4
Brevyn Jones - 4
Evan Kirts - 4
Josh Plohr - 4
Phifer Griffin - 4
Blaise Sparks - 4
Kevin Tyler - 4
Zachary Barlev - 4 + RS
Joshua Gesky - 4 + RS
Josh Kreutz - 4 + RS
Brody Wisecarver - 4 + RS
DL (10)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Roderick Perry II - 1
Jamal Woods - 1
Calvin Avery - 2
Anthony Shipton - 2
Deon Pate - 2
Keith Randolph Jr. - 4
Quinton McCoy - 4
Jer'Zhan Newton - 4
Tre'Von Riggins - 4
Sedarius McConnell - 4 + RS
OLB (6)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Owen Carney Jr. - 1
Isaiah Gay - 1
Ezekiel Holmes - 2
Seth Coleman - 4
Dwayne Johnson - 4 + RS
Kalen Villanueva - 4 + RS
ILB (7)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Jake Hansen - 1
Khalan Tolson - 2
Alec McEachern - 2
Calvin Hart Jr. - 3
Tarique Barnes - 3
Shammond Cooper - 4
Dylan Rosiek - 4 + RS
DB (17)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Tony Adams - 1
Prather Hudson - 1
Kendall Smith - 1
Tailon Leitzsey - 1
Christian Bobak - 1
Derrick Smith - 2
Jartavius Martin - 2
Sydney Brown - 2
Kerby Joseph - 2
Eddie Smith - 2 + RS
Devon Witherspoon - 3
Tahveon Nicholson - 4
Daniel Edwards - 4 + RS
Prince Green - 4 + RS
DD Snyder - 4 + RS
Tyler Strain - 4 + RS
Joriell Washington - 4 + RS
PK/P/LS (5)
NAME — YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY LEFT
Blake Hayes - 1
James McCourt - 1
Ethan Tabel - 1
Caleb Griffin - 3
Hugh Robertson - 4