Illinois Football Signs Defensive Lineman Darrell Prater – What It Means

The Illini signed another defensive lineman via the transfer portal after signing Darrell Prater out of Jacksonville State on Wednesday

Oct 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema watches warm ups before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Illinois football has lost more players (26) than it has gained (17) from the transfer portal this offseason, but coach Bret Bielema and his staff continue to add depth to the Illini defensive line after signing Jacksonville State transfer Darrell Prater on Wednesday.

Welcome to the FamILLy, @dprater_34 pic.twitter.com/etZwgmudqa

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) January 21, 2026

For a while, it looked like Illinois' defensive line might be in trouble next season after Bielema lost five former defensive linemen via the portal – including three with starting experience in Tomiwa Durojaiye, Curt Neal and Angelo McCullom. But Bielema and his staff have been gradually reloading at the position, and have now signed five total defensive linemen after landing Prater.

Darrell Prater's background

Prater is a redshirt senior who has one year of eligibility remaining after playing the first four years of his college career at Jacksonville State. He started eight career games at JSU and logged consistent playing time during his Gamecocks tenure.

As a sophomore in 2024, Prater posted 26 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and as a freshman in 2023, Prater made one start and finished with 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. As a junior in 2025, Prater earned three starts, recording 23 tackles, five tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. His best game was in the Conference USA title game against Kennesaw State, in which he finished with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

How does Darrell Prater fit at Illinois?

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry's 3-4 scheme potentially allows Prater to be used in multiple roles, but based on his size and how he has been used in the past, Prater seems most likely to take snaps at nose tackle. That said, he has an uphill battle ahead of him to earn consistent playing time.

The Illini added three defensive tackles via the portal in Carter Janki (Penn), Connor Sullivan (Washington State) and Isaiah Thomison (Bowling Green), and they bring back Isaiah White and Cameron Brooks. Additionally, there's a possibility freshman King Liggins could wind up in the mix if he were able to make the leap quickly.

White and Brooks haven't played much during their Illini tenure, but both are former three-star recruits who already know the system. Meanwhile, Janki, who is probably the frontrunner to start, was named first team all-conference after dominating the Ivy League for a second straight season.

At the end of the day, though, Bielema likes to rotate his defensive linemen, so Prater should have an opportunity to take game reps with the defense – and possibly carve out a significant role.