Illinois practiced in full pads on Saturday at the Irwin Indoor facility. Media got to view the first five periods of the practice from 11:00 - 11:40. That included warmups, special teams work, and individual position drill.
OL Zy Crisler and OLB Ezekiel Holmes were not in pads, but they did do warmups and went through a couple of non-contact drills.
I primarily watched the offense today. We should get another opportunity next week to watch practice and I'll catch more of the defense then.
Players that jumped out to me
* Sophomore OL Hunter Whitenack is a mountain of a man at 6-7, 345 pounds. We didn't get to see the OL working as a unit or in space much, but in close quarters drill Whitenack appearee to have good feet for his size and has added some polish. He has a chance to start at right tackle. If he does, then Isaiah Adams will stay at guard.
* Freshman running back Kaden Feagin showed more speed than I expected. He's a one-cut type of power back and runs a little upright, but he has a more of a burst to him that I thought. He's noticeably faster than Jordan Anderson, who has a similar body type.
* I liked what I saw from R-Fr. quarterback Donovan Leary. He throws an accurate, catchable ball with a tight spiral and good timing. He has obviously taken a jump in the offseason and looks more confident and has a quicker release.
* The ball explodes off of the foot of freshman PK David Olano. He definitely lives up to his billing and should be a great PK at Illinois. He'll very likely back up Caleb Griffin this year then take over in 2024.
Quarterback
* Luke Altmyer isn't as dynamic as Tommy DeVito, so the offense will be a bit different. He has good but not great arm strength. I want to see more consistency with how the ball comes out of his hand and with his timing. A few throws were behind the receivers. Still, he's clearly QB1.
*. It's going to be a battle for QB2, and I don't see all that much separation between the rest of the QB's. I wouldn't be shocked if it's Leary. Kirkland Micheax is the tallest of the QB's and has a good arm. Transfer John Paddock is shorter than his listed 6-0. He's good on the short and intermediate stuff, but he has issues with the deep ball. He also has a whipping type of delivery. Freshman Cal Swanson has tools. Needs time.
Offensive line
* The depth chart at center right now is Josh Kruetz, Zach Barlev, and freshman TJ McMilen. Clayton Leonard is also taking reps at center. Kruetz is the starter but that's still an open competition.
* Freshman Brandon Henderson is one of the best athletes in the OL group. He just needs time, polish, and some muscle definition. He'll be a starter at Illinois eventually and should be a good one.
* Joey Okla and Josh Gesky are two guys have a chance to make a jump this year. They've gotten huge. Both are over 325 pounds. Gesky looked particularly good today.
Wide receiver / tight end
* The tight end position looks set. Tip Reiman is the most complete tight end and is the starter. Transfer Tanner Arkin more receiver than in-line blocker. He looked rather small. Henry Boyer will play in running downs.
* Everyone is high on freshman wide receiver Kenari Wilcher. His quickness really stands out. Slot receiver who can make guys miss. He's raw in terms of route running, but has the tools.
* R-Fr. WR Shawn Miller is a potential break-out performer. He showed no ill effects from his injury and was moving very well.
Running backs
* Reggie Love and Josh McCray are 1A and 1B. Clearly the leaders of this group.
* Aidan Laughery is an all-purpose, third down back type. I think he'll be a return man on special teams eventually after Isaiah Williams graduates. Quick twitch kid but not very physical. Space player, and pass catcher out of the backfield.
*. Jordan Anderson looks like a fullback, super-back, H-back type to me. He's bulky and not a quick-cut guy. Thad Ward said he likes his vision, though.
* As I wrote above, I liked what I saw from Feagin. He just needs coaching - running with his pads lower, learning how to cut, etc. But his speed surprised me.
* IMO, they needed to add another every-down type of RB from the Portal. There's a reason why Chase Brown got so many carries.
illinois.rivals.com
