5 crucial positions Illinois football needs to address in the transfer portal

Illinois football doesn't begin the 2024 season until September, but there's plenty to see on the depth chart until then.

The transfer portal is always a current topic and will remain so in the coming years. The Illini have filled some big holes on the roster using the transfer portal, but there is still work to be done.

Entering the 2024 campaign, Illinois has a decent roster, but depth is a major issue. We cannot afford to lose players or the talent level will drop dramatically. Because of this, we should enter the transfer portal in a few key areas to help with depth issues.

While Illinois' offensive line didn't do a bad job last season, there was definitely room for improvement. I always thought the offensive guard positions could use an upgrade.

Going into the 2024 season, I believe Josh Gesky at left defense and Zy Crisler at right defense will be the starters.

Crisler has started 24 games over the past two seasons and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in each of those seasons. Gesky broke out in 2023 when he started eight games and also earned All-Big Ten honorable mention. Both players also started in the spring game.

There are several reasons why I want Illinois to address the guard position in the transfer portal. The first is that Crisler is a senior and Gesky is a junior. We will need reinforcements to take over and develop the starting positions over the next two seasons.

I'm also skeptical about how deep Illinois is on the roster right now. I'm excited to see what Dezmond Schuster can bring to the table as a primary backup. He missed last season due to injury. Hunter Whitenack should be the other primary backup since he started three games last season. He didn't have a great season as he was ranked 569th out of 628 guards.

Depth and talent are a major concern for the Illini. I think our starters are OK, but they're getting older and the depth behind them isn't stable. Illinois should get a nice young transfer portal guard or two to bolster this position.