Before the start of Illinois football's training camp on Aug. 2 in Champaign, beat writer Scott Richey is counting down the Top 50 most important Illini heading into the 2019 season:
No. 39: Donny Navarro
Vitals: 5-11, 185, R-So., WR
Hometown: Naperville
High school: Neuqua Valley
Looking back at 2018: The only glimpses of Navarro so far have happened during a practice setting as he sat out the 2018 season after transferring from Valparaiso. He was productive for the Crusaders in 2017, leading them with 32 catches for 539 yards and five touchdowns in 2017, and showed sure hands across the middle while running with the scout team last fall.