Illinois football is about to finish up the most successful three-year run in my lifetime.
Bret Bielema has done a great job keeping the Illini in the national conversation year in and year out. The way he has been able to do this is not just solid coaching on the field. Illinois has been competitive in the offseason as well.
The transfer portal exploded as soon as Bielema took over at Illinois. He didn’t run and hide from it like some of his peers. Instead, Bielema embraced it. He landed Tommy DeVito, who was a guiding light to an eight-win campaign.