It seems clear that Illinois Fighting Illini offensive coordinator Tony Petersen likes to use a wide assortment of tight ends and H-backs. According to the official team roster, Illinois has eleven tight ends available in 2021, which is a monumental shift from the five players at the position last season.
Now, the 2021 roster also lists fullbacks/H-backs like Michigan State Spartans transfer Max Rosenthal as tight ends, but that’s still a large number of players at a position that many other offensive coaches, like former Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith, de-emphasize in their schemes.