Film Session Seals the Deal for Leon Lowery Jr. to Join Illinois Football

The Illini caught the eye of Lowery during a film session last season while he was playing for Wisconsin

Sep 14, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Leon Lowery Jr. (8) during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

New Illinois linebacker Leon Lowery Jr.'s decision to transfer Big Ten schools was driven in large part by one key moment.

After spending four seasons at Syracuse (including two redshirt years), Lowery transferred to Wisconsin in 2024 for his junior season. Although he turned in his best college season in Madison (29 tackles and a sack in 12 games), the Badgers struggled through quarterback issues, key injuries and other troubles before finishing a disappointing 5-7.

Whether Lowery had begun considering other options by this time, it was a film-watching session during a prep week at Wisconsin last season – Illinois' Oct. 19 win over then-defending national champion Michigan – that prompted him to start thinking about a future with the Illini.

#illini transfer Leon Lowery is from Wisconsin

“I watched them beat Michigan on TV this year. They were flying around”

“I was like, ‘Wow, that program really turned it around.”

Bret Bielema got two other Wisconsin transfers too: James Thompson and Curt Neal

Illinois coming… pic.twitter.com/Hw8FhcMPD3

— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) February 4, 2025

"It's crazy, because when I was watching them – I actually watched them at Wisconsin when we were playing Michigan – I saw how they played," Lowery told FOX Illinois on Tuesday. "They were flying around, outside 'backers moving all over the place – it was crazy."

After confirming his initial impressions about the vastly improved Illini, Lowery had some decision-making ahead of him. As it turned out, two of his former teammates on the Badgers' defense – James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal – had the same idea. All have since reunited as transfers in Champaign.

"I was like, 'Man, that program turned it around a lot,'" Lowery said of Illinois, which won 10 games – including a Citrus Bowl upset of South Carolina – in 2024. "So now I'm here, and it's crazy seeing all that here now, and I'm just excited for it."

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