Hook'em Headlines
Fansided

Texas Football: 3 former Fighting Illini to get out of the transfer portal

By Andrew Miller

Ricky Smalling, Texas Football (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Ricky Smalling, Texas Football (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Blaise Sparks – North Fort Myers is another individual making his first ever appearance in the Big 15, checking in at No. 10.Fnp Am Big15sparksno10Blaise Sparks – North Fort Myers is another individual making his first ever appearance in the Big 15, checking in at No. 10.
Blaise Sparks – North Fort Myers is another individual making his first ever appearance in the Big 15, checking in at No. 10.Fnp Am Big15sparksno10Blaise Sparks – North Fort Myers is another individual making his first ever appearance in the Big 15, checking in at No. 10. /

Blaise Sparks, OT

As one of the whopping six former Fighting Illini players that put their names in the transfer portal in a span of roughly 24 hours early this week, freshman offensive tackle Blaise Sparks could be a nice pick up for another Power Five program. Sparks specifically announced his intentions to transfer on June 29, taking some OL depth away from Illinois.

It looks like some of the younger Fighting Illini players like Sparks have not taken too well to the coaching regime change from Lovie Smith to Bret Bielema. But not all of these players from Illinois that put their names in the portal this week are likely to leave Urbana-Champaign.

Sparks got some reps during his true freshman campaign at Illinois. But since the Big Ten season was dramatically shortened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, younger players for the Fighting Illini didn’t get much of a shot to make an early impact.

That could also be part of the reason why a player like Sparks could bring so much value to the table. He was decent for the Fighting Illini, albeit in less than three dozen reps last season. He could add to the young depth for Texas at offensive tackle starting this season.

The 6-foot-7 and 290-pound former underrated three-star recruit is one of the better underclassmen that play along the offensive line in the transfer portal at the moment. If Texas is looking to add depth here, Sparks could be a good way to go.

Home/Texas Football