llinois defensive end Jihad Ward was supposed to be out for at least two games after preseason knee surgery.
He must be a fast healer.
Illinois coach Bill Cubit said after Thursday’s walkthrough that Ward will play in Friday’s game against Kent State.
“He’s ready to go,” Cubit said. “We’ll see about his reps how he’s playing out there. He’s going to play.”
Cubit is excited to see Ward back on the field.
“No. 1, I recruited him and got really, really close to him,”
Cubit said. “He helps us and he’s a pretty good player.