Lovie Smith announced Monday that the Illini will be without both Alex Palczewski and Tarique Barnes for the remainder of the season.
Palczewski suffered a leg injury against Rutgers and Barnes was injured in the Illini’s last game against Nebraska — both will have their year’s end with season-ending surgery.
Palczewski is a senior on the offensive line, primarily playing right tackle and starting over 40 games in his Illini career. A team captain and trusted leader offensively, Palczewski’s loss is a big one for Illinois.
“It hurts him, it hurts him bad,” said offensive coordinator Rod Smith.