2023 Season Review
2023 Off PPG: 24.5 PPG
2023 Def PPG: 29.41
Key Offensive Losses:
Projected 2024 Off PPG: 26.01 PPG
Returning Off Rating: 0.7103
Key Offensive Returners:
Returning Def Rating: 0.6333
Key Defensive Returners
Season Thoughts
On offense, the 2023 Illinois team had really solid WR’s, a pretty solid RB, and a very physical offensive line. Defensively, they had a great defensive line…one of the top 2-3 that KU played all year but inexperience at DB.
When you look at what they lose…the outlook is not great.
Their offense lost multi-year starters at Tackle, 3 of their top 4 receivers, and their leading rusher. They return their interior OL, QB, and RB2. They don’t have squat for known entities at receiver or a go-to back from an offense that was looking up at average. They return their QB but he’s got suspect decision making.
On defense, they basically lost the entirety of their line and a significant portion of their secondary…making them inexperienced there for the second year in a row. They do return the bulk of their linebacker production, but most of their production was a product of the way opposing offenses handled Illinois’ DL which funneled a lot of stuff to their LB’s.
This isn’t going to be a good team unless something incredibly weird and unexpected happens. I think they’re going to look like a slightly worse team than we saw a year ago. I think it will improve over the course of the season but will likely be more of the same. They have a fairly friendly schedule so they’re probably a 5-7 win team with an absolute ceiling of 7 wins and a floor of 3 wins.
2023 Off PPG: 24.5 PPG
2023 Def PPG: 29.41
Key Offensive Losses:
- OT Isaiah Adams (3rd Rd NFL Draft)
- WR Casey Washington (6th Rd NFL Draft)
- TE Tip Reiman (3rd Rd NFL Draft)
- WR Isaiah Williams (NFL UDFA)
- RB Reggie Love III (Transfer)
- DT Jer’Zhan Newton (2nd Rd NFL Draft)
- DT Keith Randolph (NFL UDFA)
- DT Denzel Daxon (NFL USFA)
- S Nicario Harper (NFL UDFA)
- CB Tahveon Nicholson (Transfer)
- S Zachary Tobe (Transfer)
Projected 2024 Off PPG: 26.01 PPG
Returning Off Rating: 0.7103
Key Offensive Returners:
- QB Luke Altmeyer (1883 yards passing, 13 TD’s/10 INT’s, 282 rushing, 3TD’s)
- RB Kaden Feagan (438 yards rushing, 4.6 YPC, 116 receiving, 1 TD)
- WR Pat Bryant (560 yards receiving, 7 TD’s)
- OC Josh Kreutz (12 starts, Allen Big Ten Hon. Mention)
Returning Def Rating: 0.6333
Key Defensive Returners
- LB Seth Coleman (50 Tackles, 9 TFL’s 6 Sacks, 4 PBU’s)
- LB Dylan Rosiek (82 Tackles, 7.5 TFL’s, 1 Sack, 3 PBU’s)
- S Miles Scott (63 Tackles, 2 INT’s, 3 PBU’s, 1 FR, 2 Def. TD’s)
- CB Xavier Scott (57 tackles, 2 INT’s, 11 PBU’s, 1 FF)
- OT JC Davis-24 career starts at New Mexico, All MWC 1st Team
- TE Cole Rusk-507 yards receiving, 6 TD’s, 3rd Team FCS All-American
- CB Terrance Brooks-13 starts at Texas in 2023, 20 tackles, 6 PBU’s, 3 INT’s, All Big 12 Hon. Mention
- DT Gentle Hunt-32 Tackles, 11 TFL’s, 5.5 Sacks, 1 FF. 2nd Team All SWAC at FAMU
Season Thoughts
On offense, the 2023 Illinois team had really solid WR’s, a pretty solid RB, and a very physical offensive line. Defensively, they had a great defensive line…one of the top 2-3 that KU played all year but inexperience at DB.
When you look at what they lose…the outlook is not great.
Their offense lost multi-year starters at Tackle, 3 of their top 4 receivers, and their leading rusher. They return their interior OL, QB, and RB2. They don’t have squat for known entities at receiver or a go-to back from an offense that was looking up at average. They return their QB but he’s got suspect decision making.
On defense, they basically lost the entirety of their line and a significant portion of their secondary…making them inexperienced there for the second year in a row. They do return the bulk of their linebacker production, but most of their production was a product of the way opposing offenses handled Illinois’ DL which funneled a lot of stuff to their LB’s.
This isn’t going to be a good team unless something incredibly weird and unexpected happens. I think they’re going to look like a slightly worse team than we saw a year ago. I think it will improve over the course of the season but will likely be more of the same. They have a fairly friendly schedule so they’re probably a 5-7 win team with an absolute ceiling of 7 wins and a floor of 3 wins.
