2 weeks Ago
Illinois' defensive line should be one of its strengths this season after adding transfers James Thompson and Curt Neal from Wisconsin and Tomiwa Durojaiye from Florida State. But one player who may no longer be part of the mix is Alex Bray. Bray, a sophomore defensive end from Chesterfield, Missouri, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, according to Allen Trieu of 247 Sports, If true, that's now six Illinois players who have entered the transfer portal this spring.
What's most concerning about the status of Bray – a 6-foot-4, 270-pound deefnsive end – is that he was probably in the mix for a starting role, or at least a big jump in playing time. Bray had a fairly modest 20 tackles in his second season in Champaign, but he played in all 13 games, logged six quarterback pressures in limited snaps and showed flashes of high-level play at times in 2024. A former three-star recruit, Bray still has two years of eligibility remaining and a ton of upside after getting a big increase in playing time from his freshman year.
Where Bray lands, for now, is anyone's guess. He has yet to make public his intentions or a list of possible destinations. More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:.
