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Highly-recruited offensive lineman Gabe Megginson should be someone to keep an eye on this season. Coming in to his junior season, Megginson was expected to be one of the top offensive linemen in the Big Ten in the latter parts of his career. With a slow start and a temporary benching in 2016, Megginson looks to come out and show the world why he was touted as one of the top players in the state in 2014.
The offensive line as a whole for Illinois will need to be in top form if the Illini plan to advance to bowl eligibility in 2017. With time spent at tackle and guard, Megginson has the physicality to cover a good portion of the line. The Illinois offensive game plan will be relying heavily on the line play in 2017, and Megginson could be the leader that this squad needs.
His slow start in his career has left some scratching their heads, as the highly touted recruit was expected to wow. His skillset is still there, and it should be on display for a rebound year in 2017.