Former Michigan offensive lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman takes visit to Illinois

"The 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman will graduate from Michigan this spring -- allowing him to play immediately due to the graduate transfer rule -- and will have two years of eligibility remaining."

~ Jeremy Werner, Scout

Fighting Illini football still has one open scholarship for the 2016 season, and Lovie Smith is exploring the transfer market for a late addition. One of those options -- former Michigan offensive lineman Logan Tuley-Tillman -- was in Champaign over the weekend to watch practice and check out some of the facilities.

The Peoria native was dismissed by Jim Harbaugh after the team's first game last season for "conduct unacceptable for a Michigan student-athlete." It was eventually revealed that Tuley-Tillman was facing three felony charges (you can read up on the details of the incident right here); he was sentenced to two years of probation last month.

Tuley-Tillman gave a verbal commitment to Washington State in January, but visits to Ole Miss, Arkansas, Purdue and Houston prove he's still keeping his options wide open. So, while it appears the Illini still have some ground to make up, Tuley-Tillman did have this to say about the program's new head coach:

"Lovie is obviously a star. The very first football I ever watched as a kid was a Bears-Vikings game when he was the head coach."

So we'll see. Despite only appearing in one game for the Wolverines, Tuley-Tillman could be a nice addition considering 1) the offensive line has some depth issues and 2) he has two years of eligibility remaining. Those charges are absolutely a bit concerning, though, especially after the recent events surrounding the basketball program.

"Dudek met with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Monday for a consultation before Andrews operates on Dudek’s knee on Tuesday at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, FL"

~ Matt Daniels, The News-Gazette

Illinois wideout Mikey Dudek will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair his right ACL for the second time in two years. Dudek, who suffered the tear during practice last week, will miss the entire season.

Get well soon, Mikey! We're all pulling for you.

Whether [Lovie Smith] will be enough to bring Illinois back into Big Ten contention remains to be seen, but 2016 should be fascinating in Champaign for the first time in a while.

~ Ian Boyd, SB Nation

Make Illinois interesting again!

In the above post, SB Nation's Ian Boyd does a terrific job of breaking down the logistics behind Lovie Smith's pro-style experiment in Champaign. It's a must-read for anyone who's wondering how his typical offensive and defensive schemes will translate with Illinois' personnel.

Other News & Notes

- SB Nation has Jihad Ward going to the Texans (2nd Round, Pick No. 52) in their latest NFL mock draft

- Players are finally receiving settlement checks after having their likenesses used in old 'NCAA Football' games

- 5-star recruit Josh Jackson commits to Kansas over Michigan State, Arizona

- Bryce Harper is chasing his 100th home run with the ‘100’ emoji on his bat

- 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1 Schedules