We all know that the Illinois football team has a special player on its hands with Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton.
Since Bret Bielema took over the Illini, the program has had a resurgence. Putting up an eight-win campaign in 2022 was unthinkable if you watch the program in the multiple years prior to Bielema taking over.
A big part of this eight-win campaign was the talent on the defensive side of the ball. Players like Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon helped in the second, but they have now departed the program for the NFL.