No. 14: Christian DiLauro, OL
Why he’s important: A year ago, DiLauro had never even played in a game for the Illini. Now he’s one of the key pieces of the Illini offensive line. DiLauro, who has added 60 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame since arriving at Illinois and now stands at 300 pounds, is the bonafide starting right tackle for Illinois heading into 2015. He asserted himself at that position near the midway point of last season. The coaching staff liked his raw talent and potential last August, but Pat Flavin held off DiLauro throughout preseason practices.