Illinois Football Takes More Personnel Losses Through the Transfer Portal

Illinois football has officially arrived at the level of success that nobody warns you about: the roster turnover hangover. After finishing the best two-year stretch in program history, the Illini now stare into the swirling chaos of the transfer portal, where depth charts dissolve and offseason optimism is tested daily.

It starts with Luke Altmyer, the best quarterback Illinois has had in recent memory, graduating and leaving behind a highlight reel full of late-game heroics. On defense, Gabe Jacas is off to the NFL Draft. These are the losses that sting but ultimately burnish a program's reputation. Portal departures are sometimes another story, and the Illini are indeed losing a number of quality contributors. Of course, some of that has to do with competition with increasingly talented recruits and transfers. For Illinois, this isn’t a rebuild. It’s the cost of winning – and now the real offseason work begins.

Here's more information on the latest outgoing Illini transfers:

Justin Bowick, wide receiver

Bowick departs Champaign after a productive but uneven season. The junior transfer led Illinois with five receiving touchdowns, flashing his ability as a red-zone threat, but injuries limited his availability and consistency. With Bowick sidelined at times, he never fully settled into an every-down role, especially as Hank Beatty emerged as a reliable, high-volume option and took a major step forward in the offense.

Illinois wide receiver Justin Bowick is entering the transfer portal, his agent @david_benzaken tells @chris_hummer and me.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder had a team-high five touchdown catches this season. pic.twitter.com/vxaedUQOaE
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 2, 2026

Moving forward, Illinois will look to replace Bowick’s production by committee. Hudson Clement is a prime candidate to take on a larger role, while highly regarded incoming freshmen Nasir Rankin and Kenyon Alston will be given every opportunity to make an immediate impact. The talent is there – now it’s about who’s ready to seize the moment.

Malachi Hood, linebacker

Hood emerged as a key piece of the Illini defense this season, putting together a breakout year with 39 total tackles and ranking fourth on the team with 26 solo stops. His growth and reliability in the middle made him an important part of Illinois’ defensive rotation, and his departure leaves a noticeable hole at linebacker.

Thankful for my time at the University of Illinois and everyone who’s been part of my journey.

I’ll be entering the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Represented by @foote_chad pic.twitter.com/9C4FrmWdgL
— Malachi Hood (@Malachiloading) January 2, 2026

Illinois won’t be short on options to replace that production, though. The coaching staff is extremely high on Grant Beerman, a standout freshman who is expected to take on a larger role moving forward, and the Illini will also look to supplement positional depth with portal additions.

Curtis Neal, defensive lineman

Neal made an immediate impact after transferring from Wisconsin last offseason, stepping into a starting role and becoming a key piece of the Illinois defensive line. His size and experience helped anchor a front (of which a lot was asked in the Illini's scheme).

#Illini DL Curtis Neal (@CurtisNeal97) has announced he will be entering the transfer portal, per his twitter account.

This brings the Illini transfer out total just north of 20 players this offseason. https://t.co/RkyGR0grW9 pic.twitter.com/vNg1bTE4nY
— Carson Bounds (@CarsonBounds) January 3, 2026

With Neal moving on, Illinois will look internally for answers up front. Angelo McCollum emerged late in the season, particularly as a pass rusher and upfield playmaker, and Illinois' coaches have been high on him for some time.

More of the latest Illinois football departures

Additional Illini departures include wide receiver Ashton Hollins, defensive back Tyson Rooks, tight ends Clayton Leonard and Jake Furtney, among others. The turnover this season is actually on par with what Illinois experienced each of the past two seasons, so the numbers shouldn't raise sound alarm bells for fans. If anything, with so few barriers to seek new opportunities on the modern college football landscape, the Illini have fared pretty well in terms of player retention.

Additionally, the Illini have assembled a strong incoming recruiting class and have consistently shown a willingness to mine talent from the JUCO ranks and the transfer portal to patch holes and upgrade the roster. Add in the natural progression of underclassmen poised to take on larger roles, and the outlook remains promising. Change is inevitable, but Illinois has proven it can adapt.