Why he's important: Illinois' offensive line group is thin both in terms of sheer numbers (just 13 on the roster) and experience (seven haven't played a single down of college football). That makes Megginson, who played in 10 games with seven starts last season, a key piece of the Illini offense this fall. Where the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Jacksonville native will line up is the question. Six of Megginson's seven starts last season came at guard and one at tackle. He could shift full time to the latter this season with Illinois needing a strongside tackle following the graduation of Austin Schmidt to pair with senior Christian DiLauro on the weakside.
Top 50 most important Illini No. 18: Gabe Megginson, OL
