Illinois' Trey Petty, Easton Baker Plan to Enter Transfer Portal: What It Means

Bret Bielema and the Illinois football program have been killing it on the talent-acquisition frontlately, dominating the junior college circuit over the past four weeks and even flipping a couple of recruits from top-tier programs on Wednesday, the first day of college football's early signing period.

But on Tuesday, the Illini were reminded that the talent pipeline can flow in both directions when quarterback Trey Petty and linebacker Easton Baker – both former three-star recruits – plan to enter the transfer portal, potentially ending their days with the orange and blue.

Illinois QB Trey Petty intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per @APSportsAgency. He's a former three-star recruit from Starkville, Miss., who was 2023 Mississippi Class 7A Mr. Football. His offers included Georgia Tech, Indiana, Mississippi and Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/ZNC2WQX915
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 2, 2025

Illinois linebacker Eastern Baker plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. The 2024 signee out of Tooele (Utah) Stansbury was a 3-star in that class and chose the Illini over schools like Oklahoma, Arkansas and BYU. Will have three years of eligibility remaining.… pic.twitter.com/w4O5njgCcL
— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) December 2, 2025

Trey Petty's background

Petty is a redshirt freshman quarterback who has three years of eligibility after receiving no in-game reps during his two seasons in Champaign. Petty had offers from multiple top-tier programs, including SEC powers Georgia and Ole Miss, but ultimately chose Illinois. He racked up nearly 7,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards at Starkville High School in Mississippi, and should get a decent amount of attention via the portal.

Petty is a dual-threat quarterback who is undersized (6-feet, 205 pounds) but never got a chance to showcase his talents at Illinois. Stuck behind Luke Altmyer and Ethan Hampton (and perhaps others) on the depth chart, Petty never got a shot beyond the practice field to show his stuff in Barry Lunney Jr.'s offense.

Easton Baker's background

Baker is a redshirt freshman linebacker from Utah who only dressed for Illinois' season opener against Western Illinois in 2025. After receiving a number of Power 4 offers coming out of Stansbury High School (including BYU and Oklahoma), he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

At 6 feet and 220 pounds, Baker is a tad short for a prototypical linebacker, but he clearly demonstrated his potential as a high schooler and probably only needs a fresh start. He may seek out a mid-major or somewhat lower-profile Power 4 program to get on the field right away, but he likely has the ability to compete for a central role with a another top-25-level program in the right situation.

How the departures affect the Illini

Neither Petty nor Baker were expected to be key contributors for Illinois in 2026, though both were young enough to continue developing and possibly climb the depth chart over time. Departures like these are never fun – just ask Malik Elzy – but Bielema has been publicly supportive of players seeking out more playing time or better fits elsewhere when it hasn't worked out as hoped in Champaign. If Illini players have felt treated unfairly under Bielema or his staff, they have so far kept those thoughts to themselves.

At the end of the day, a program in the process of leveling up – Illinois' recruiting haul for 2026 was its best since such things began being ranked and recorded – is going to deal with player exits such as Petty's and Baker's. College football is a zero-sum game, and many gifted, competitive players would rather test their luck on another campus than watch other gifted, competitive players soak up the reps on the field. As long as all parties are transparent and respectful in their approach to parting ways, Illinois, the departing players and their new programs can all benefit in the end.