Kansas coach Lance Leipold observed on Monday that he thought Illinois looked distinctly improved in the trenches as compared to last season.
“They made some adjustments in the O-line, junior college and portal, brought in about 14, 15 guys maybe, a fair amount of newcomers,” he said, adding later, “We talk about the skill positions in these settings, but still upfront, I think the left tackle’s very impressive, they moved tackles into guards, and again, they’re using multiple tight ends.”
In their second game of the 2023 season, the Jayhawks had racked up six sacks against the Illini, their most in 14 seasons, in a 34-23 victory that helped kickstart a memorable season for KU — not to mention that it got eventual Chicago Bears draft pick Austin Booker on the radar with two sacks after he had arrived as a fairly anonymous transfer from Minnesota.
It could be tougher sledding for KU’s pass rush this time around, with new additions like transfer tackles J.C. Davis (New Mexico) and Melvin Priestly (Grambling) in the fold for Illinois, as players like Dean Miller and DJ Warner look to make their mark for the Jayhawks in Booker’s place this time around.
On the flip side, Illinois lost multiple players to the professional ranks from its own defensive line. In short, this year’s matchup, set for Saturday at 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, will feature some distinctly different dynamics as the Illini look to kick their 2024 campaign into gear — they finished just 5-7 last year.
Of note, this will be just the second time in the Leipold era that KU has rematched a nonconference opponent, after it played Duke in 2021 and 2022. The repetition doesn’t stop this week, as the Jayhawks will host UNLV at Children’s Mercy Park on Sept. 13, marking the first time KU has ever taken on a bowl opponent the following season, and the first time since TCU and Houston in the 1994 and 1995 seasons that the Jayhawks have played two of the same nonconference foes in consecutive years.
For now, though, here’s a rundown of exactly what will be different when the Jayhawks take on Illinois in Champaign on Saturday.
Mississippi wide receiver Zakhari Franklin (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Auburn during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Auburn, Ala.
Kansas wide receiver Lawrence Arnold (2) fails to make a catch as Texas defensive back Terrance Brooks (8) defends against the play during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023.
Florida State defensive lineman Dennis Briggs Jr. (6) sets up for a play during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Syracuse, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Tallahassee, Fla.
What’s new
Much of the discussion ahead of last year’s KU-Illinois matchup centered on the Illini’s much-ballyhooed “Law Firm” of defensive tackles Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton and Keith Randolph. They had six tackles apiece, including two sacks for Newton, but the Jayhawks’ offensive line ended up clearing more than enough space for Devin Neal (120 yards and a touchdown) and Daniel Hishaw Jr. (98 yards and a touchdown), and on one memorable play Jalon Daniels outmaneuvered Newton in his own end zone on the way to a big downfield completion.
Both Newton and Randolph are gone to the pros now, with Newton a second-round pick of the Washington Commanders, one of four selections along with offensive lineman Isaiah Adams (third round to Arizona), tight end Tip Reiman (the same, 11 picks later) and receiver Casey Washington (sixth round to Atlanta).
The Illini generally look pretty different at the skill positions, having also lost converted quarterback Isaiah Williams, a 1,000-yard receiver who had six catches for 99 yards against KU last season, and leading rusher Reggie Love III, who transferred to Purdue.
Illinois didn’t run well at all in Lawrence outside of quarterback Luke Altmyer, but this time around, Aiden Laughery and Kaden Feagin, who came on strong over the course of last season, have a chance to do some damage. The second-year players combined for 26 carries and 187 yards in the Illini’s 45-0 win over Eastern Illinois. Between the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Feagin and 6-foot-1, 235-pound Josh McCray, Illinois features some backs who will seriously test the tackling ability of KU’s front seven.
Pat Bryant is back as a top target for Altmyer, who is looking to step forward after just 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season, and the quarterback also has a new weapon in Zakhari Franklin, a former UTSA and Ole Miss wideout who entered the year as the nation’s active leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (though had just two catches int the opener), and a blind-side protector in the transfer tackle Davis. Davis, who was the Illini’s top-graded pass blocker in their opener, per Pro Football Focus, was a first-team all-conference selection at New Mexico last year.
Illinois’ leading tacklers are back in linebacker Dylan Rosiek, safety Miles Scott and cornerback Xavier Scott, though the Illini revamped their secondary with transfer corners Terrance Brooks (Texas) and Torrie Cox Jr. (Ohio).
There are questions on the defensive line in the absence of Newton and Randolph, where transfers like seventh-year Dennis Briggs Jr. (Florida State), fifth-year Gentle Hunt (Florida A&M) and junior Enyce Sledge (Auburn) are expected to figure in prominently.
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