CHAMPAIGN — Illinois has 14 Florida natives on its roster. Most of them hail from the Miami area, but Tre Watson, Jake Hansen and Bobby Roundtree are all from Tampa or nearby towns — directly in the path of Hurricane Irma.
"I call my mom every day and check on her," Roundtree said. "I talked to my mom before the game, and she said she'll be safe. They're at a shelter right now and everyone should be safe."
Illinois coach Love Smith also has a home in Tampa from his time coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he got the Illini job.