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Illinois Football: Illini OT Reuben Unije leaves the program

Jeremy Werner of 247Sports first reported that freshman offensive lineman Reuben Unije has left the program. He is no longer with the team for personal reasons. Werner even got a quote from head coach Lovie Smith on the matter.

“We wish him well,” Smith said. “Sometimes it just doesn’t work out with a player and a team. This is one of those cases.”

Coming out of high school, Unije was a big pickup for the Illini. He was a 6-foot-5, 303-pound offensive tackle from IMG Academy down in Bradenton, Florida. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No.