I think we can all sit back and say last season was a disaster in just about every way. There were some bright spots with the young players, but a lot of areas suffered especially the running game. Illinois was one of the worst teams in the nation rushing the ball in 2017.
Mike Epstein came into the Illinois football program as a true freshman in 2017. He was able to play in the first five games of 2017 and during that time, he rushed for 346 yards. He went down with an injury which sidelined him for the final seven games, but he still managed to lead the team in rushing by 80 yards.