Best of ... Illini
No. 31: Julian Hylton, DB
Why he's important: Hylton opened the 2016 season as Illinois' starting strong safety, the culmination of a strong showing in training camp sending him past Caleb Day on the depth chart. He held that spot for the first three games of the season and played well, recording his first career interception in Illinois' season-opening win against Murray State and making a career-high four tackles the next week against North Carolina. Then Hylton got caught in Illinois coach Lovie Smith's youth movement in the Illini secondary, as redshirt freshman Patrick Nelson worked his way past Hylton to the top of the depth chart the rest of the season.