What a difference a year makes.
It was this time last season we seemed to be pouring adulation upon our redshirt freshman safety as the next big thing. Alas, not all feel-good stories have a happy ending.
Pat Nelson announced his intentions to transfer on Nov. 28. His preceded a mass exodus of former Tim Beckman/Bill Cubit recruits who decided to search for greener pastures.
This one, to me anyways, might hurt Illinois the most. Patrick Nelson wasn't a Jamal Adams or Eric Berry at safety, but he was a solid, dependable player who could lay the wood in run support.