Five More Illinois Football Players Opt for the Transfer Portal

For a team coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons and consecutive bowl game victories, Illinois wouldn't initially seem to be a program from which a lot of players would want to jump ship and enter the transfer portal. But for coach Bret Bielema and the Illini, that hasn't been the case.

Five more Illinois players entered the transfer portal on Monday, most notably starting defensive tackle Tomiwa Durojaiye and backup quarterback Ethan Hampton, increasing the Illini's outgoing total to 20.

The number (so far) tracks with the volume of Illinois football departures from recent seasons, and if anything, it may be less than some expectations given the quality of competition that incumbents will (and would have) faced from a fantastic incoming class of recruits and a raft of additions from the transfer portal. Game reps are a zero-sum game, and as the Illini program improves, good players who may get iced out by better players (or better fits) are likely to look elsewhere for opportunities.

Let's run down the list of the latest contributors who have decided to move on:

Tomiwa Durojaiye, defensive end

Of the five Illinois players who entered the portal Monday, Durojaiye was arguably the biggest loss. Assuming Durojaiye does indeed leave Illinois, his next school will be his fifth in five years – and 2026 will be his final year of college eligibility.

Durojaiye began his career at Kentucky and made stops at West Virginia and Florida State before finding a home in Champaign last year. He played in 11 games, starting eight, and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention after finishing second on the team with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

#Illini defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye said he's entering the transfer portal.

It'll potentially be his fifth school in five years. He started at Kentucky, West Virginia, Florida State, Illinois and unclear where he'll land in 2026.

He was 6'5 and 300 pounds. pic.twitter.com/wXdC0Llmw1
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) January 5, 2026

There's no way around it: Durojaiye's departure dings the Illini defensive front. The senior-to-be didn't play a ton at Florida State, Kentucky or West Virginia, but that changed at Illinois.

Durojaiye would have been a starter next year, and depending on how good a year he winds up having, he could hear his name called in the 2027 NFL Draft. But now Illinois needs to find his replacement – and do it fairly quickly.

Ethan Hampton, quarterback

Hampton left Northern Illinois for Champaign in 2025, and he held down the No. 2 job for the entire season. He played very little as Luke Altmyer's backup, but he was fairly efficient in his limited playing time. Hampton completed three of four passes for 27 yards (with one interception) over four games.

But after Illinois signed East Carolina transfer Katin Houser over the weekend, Hampton knew his chances of landing the starting job would have been a long shot, and so he entered the transfer portal. Hampton has one more year of eligibility remaining and should get an opportunity to compete for a starting job somewhere.

Thank you Illinois! pic.twitter.com/7incACTJTi
— Ethan Hampton (@ethan_hampton4) January 5, 2026

Even with Altmyer graduating and Hampton moving on, Illinois has solid depth at quarterback with Houser, Division II transfer Maurice Smith Jr., and returning sophomore Carson Boyd (not to mention 2026 recruit Michael Clayton II on the way). And I wouldn't be surprised if the Illini add yet another quarterback via the portal before it's all said and done.

Saboor Karriem, defensive back

For someone who logged just one start in three seasons, Saboor Karriem was a guy who played a decent amount at Illinois. He was a regular on special teams and finished the 2025 season with 19 total tackles, including a career-high 10 against USC.

The former four-star recruit has one more year of eligibility and leaves Champaign with 27 career tackles and three pass breakups.

pic.twitter.com/2bPjAyGB0d
— Saboor Karriem (@Saboor_Karriem) January 5, 2026

Losing Karriem is a tougher blow than the departure of the average reserve defensive back. Not only was he someone the Illini could rely on for special teams, but Karriem had a chance to potentially play in dime and nickel packages. Depending on where he lands, Karriem could start at cornerback or safety in 2026.

Eli Coenen, defensive lineman

A former Division II transfer from Bemidji State, Coenen spent one season in Champaign, playing in all 12 regular-season games. He finished with eight tackles, 0.5 sacks and one quarterback hurry.

Illinois defensive lineman Eli Coenen is entering the transfer portal, his agency @TeamIFA tells @CBSSports.

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Coenen (@eli_coenen45) has two years of eligibility remaining. Played in 12 games this season at Illinois. pic.twitter.com/2oSp9mT4wK
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 4, 2026

Coenen has the size to play college football in any conference, and with two more years of eligibility remaining, he still has time to put it all together and produce for another program.

Illinois has produced a lot of standout defensive tackles in recent years, but losing Coenen could bite the Illini in the butt down the road in terms of depth on the defensive line (especially with Durojaiye leaving, too).

Amar Reynolds, defensive back

Amar Reynold spent two years at Illinois but played in only one game. A former three-star recruit, he has three years of eligibility remaining but very little college tape to show potential programs.

Reynolds wasn't really in the mix to take snaps with the Illinois defense in 2026 (though he may have earned some special teams reps). In any case, if it's playing time and an expanded role he's looking for, he's making the right decision by entering the portal.