End of an Era: Illinois Fixture Ty Rodgers Moving on Via Transfer Portal

For two years, the writing appeared to be on the wall. On Thursday, Ty Rodgers finally responded to it.

Rodgers, the last remaining tie to Illinois' 2023-24 Elite Eight club on the current roster, decided after a redshirt season and a year lost to injury to finally seek a fresh start when (as first reported by ESPN's Jeff Borzello) he entered the transfer portal.

Illinois redshirt junior Ty Rodgers has entered the transfer portal, source told ESPN. Redshirted the 2024-25 season and then missed the 2025-26 season after suffering a knee injury last summer.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 16, 2026

After a series of unfortunate developments – namely, a shift in Illinois' offensive philosophy and a major knee injury – essentially sidelined Rodgers for the past two years, the move to transfer wasn't entirely unexpected. But after the announced returns of David Mirkovic, Jake Davis and Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic on Wednesday, Rodgers' decision a day later registered as an unequivocal mood-killer.

A dynamic force on the floor and a respected voice away from it, Rodgers became one of the program's most beloved players among fans during his four years in Champaign. After a promising freshman season, he emerged as a sophomore starter in 2023-24, averaging 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a high-energy, do-everything wing – a gold-plated role player on a club led by Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins and that saw its NCAA Tournament run ended only by eventual national champs UConn in the Elite Eight.

Rodgers was expected to be a major factor for Illinois as a junior in 2024-25, and joined Kylan Boswell as one of two Illini representatives at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago ahead of the season – usually a signal of a player's elevated status with his club. But a shock announcement just hours before the season opener brought news that Rodgers would redshirt the season.

No official reason was ever given for Rodgers' decision, but it wasn't hard to read between the lines: Illini coach Brad Underwood was building a new offense – one with an emphasis on shooting at all positions. Rodgers, who missed the only three-point shot he launched over his first two seasons in Champaign, suddenly wasn't an ideal fit.

So he spent his "gap year" working on his shot, mentoring Illinois' young bucks and providing a legitimate player liaison to the coaching staff. Talk of moving Rodgers to point guard made sense for numerous reasons, and any improvement on his perimeter stroke would have made him more than just playable. Playmaking, defense and excellent rebounding were already part of the Rodgers package.

But an offseason knee injury that required surgery, plus complications that set back his recovery timeline, prevented Rodgers from ever getting a chance to test his shot or new role last season. After two full years of serving as a glorified assistant coach for the Illini, Rodgers may have decided that it was simply time to try changing his luck with a new set of circumstances.

No one could blame him. And if the early social media returns are any indication, Rodgers' news has been met by nothing but full-throated support and an outpouring of gratitude from Illinois fans. In addition to good health and a program that offers him a better fit, he deserves at least that much.

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