Our preseason countdown continues:
No. 34: Owen Carney Jr., DL
Why he's important: The strength of the Illinois defense the past few seasons has been its pass rush. Seven different players had multiple sacks in 2014. The 2015 season saw Dawuane Smoot break through with eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss — both team highs. Last season was Carroll Phillips' turn, with the speed rusher leading the Illini with nine sacks and 20 tackles for loss. With Smoot and Phillips both gone — along with a handful of other defensive linemen — repleneshing that position group was a major point of emphasis for Lovie Smith in his 2017 recruiting class.