Illinois picks up another OL transfer

Illinois quietly gained another commitment out of the transfer portal this past weekend. While most eyes were on the NFL Draft, redshirt-sophomore Dylan Davis, an offensive tackle from Furman University, pledged to the Illini.

Davis is originally from Bradenton, Florida, and comes in at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds. He played in 11 games this past season and will add more depth along the offensive line,

Illinois has developed an interesting connection to the state of South Carolina. Furman University is 45 minutes from Wofford College, where former offensive lineman Blake Jeresaty was an FCS All-American and played in 10 games for the Illini last season. Former starting nose tackle Roderick Perry was an FCS All-American at South Carolina State University and current starting cornerback Tahveon Nicholson played his last season of prep ball at Palmetto Prep in Columbia.

Though only lightly recruited in 2020, Davis still received offers from Illinois and Iowa State, but ultimately chose to attend Furman University. He’s a solid athlete who runs exceedingly well and is extremely aggressive. Davis flashes plenty of agility as he was originally recruited as both an offensive and defensive lineman coming out of high school. Coach Bielema looks for offensive linemen that demonstrate transitionary power and versatility. Davis most certainly exhibits those qualities and will bring guard to tackle value. He’ll likely be slotted at guard initially and then find his best fit from there.

Davis may not see many minutes in 2022 as there will be an abundance of competition along the offensive line, but he’s a talented underclassman who will help build towards the future. The base potential is there, now Davis needs to hone his skills and adjust to the speed of Power 5 football.