For a roster that will see much turnover, the transfer portal will have to prove fruitful for the Illinois football program.
Illinois football will need to hammer the transfer portal hard if they want to continue the success.
The Illini returned 16 starters from the 2024 season, a number that will surely go down given the amount of senior talent on this team. Replacements at almost every position will be necessary.
Although some of that talent can be replaced in-house with upcoming recruits and younger players already on the roster, the transfer portal will have to be utilized in order to keep the 2026 team competitive.