Spring position battles to watch: Illinois Fighting Illini

As spring practice heats up across the Big Ten, depth charts are starting to take shape and jobs are being claimed for the fall. Spots can still be earned during training camp in August, but March and April provide a prime opportunity to make a move and potentially solidify areas of uncertainty on the roster. Across the league, we’re looking at which position battles could be the most critical during the 15 spring practices, starting with the Illinois Fighting Illini.

1. Linebacker: New coach Lovie Smith certainly brings a defensive pedigree to the program, and he clearly has plenty of work to do with a unit that must replace six starters and is particularly thin at the second level. The…