Illinois on SI Preseason Staff Picks: Who Will Be the Top Illini Newcomer?

With Illinois football's season only days away from kicking off Friday at Champaign's Memorial Stadium (6:30 p.m.

CT) the Illinois on SI staff gathered to ponder certain key Illini-related questions, put our heads together and ...

nearly came to blows in vehement disagreement.

(OK, not really but it kinda makes you wanna read more, right?) Instead of fisticuffs, we decided to hug it out and put our thoughts on paper, in a manner of speaking.

Today, each of our guys gives his pick for who will be the Illini's top newcomer in 2025.

Enjoy: Jason Langendorf's pick: Hudson Clement Goodbye, Pat Bryant.

Hello, Hudson Clement .

Look, no one can be expected to grab the baton from Bryant and reproduce his epic 2024 season and no one should.

But Clement's build, attributes and game are all similar to those of Bryant, and even though coaches tend to avoid such comparisons, the Illini staff have gone there more than once in this case.

Clement, a West Virginia transfer, doesn't have to be Bryant to give Illinois and quarterback Luke Altmyer what they need he just has to be the best version of himself.

He'll get that chance over the next two seasons in Champaign.

Steve Greenberg's pick: Keelan Crimmins Lets not pretend theres any question about this one: Its Keelan Crimmins .

The Illini go from Hugh Robertson, who was the Big Tens worst punter in 2024, to Purdue transfer Crimmins, who was the conferences leading leg.

More distance, more hang time, more say-so in weekly field-position battles what else is there? Thats what a successful reboot looks like.

Jackson Langendorf's pick: James Thompson Jr.

In this case, the most obvious choice is the right one: Wisconsin transfer and defensive lineman James Thompson Jr.

Thompson already has five college seasons under his belt, and he was a force to be reckoned with in his most recent healthy season 29 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks and two pass breakups in 2023.

Expect Thompson to emerge as the fulcrum of Illinois' defensive front three and turn in a 2025 season that validates him among the Big Ten's top defenders at his position.

Pranav Hegde's pick: Justin Bowick Thompson may be the popular choice, but Justin Bowick has a strong case to be Illinois top newcomer this season.

A Ball State transfer, he combines size, speed and football IQ, and he enters a wide-open wide receiver situation with the chance to carve out a major role right away.

With Altmyer delivering the ball and coach Bret Bielemas staff known for maximizing the talent on its roster, Bowick could break out quickly.

If so, he has the tools to emerge not just as Illinois go-to target but also as one of the Big Tens most dangerous pass catchers.

Jared Shlensky's pick: Keelan Crimmins Illinois has plenty of talented newcomers on its roster in 2025, but none will have a bigger impact than Crimmins.

It's not too often that the punter headlines as a key player, but this case is a big exception.

An All-Big Ten selection at Purdue as a junior last season, Crimmins averaged nearly 45 yards a punt and placed 17 attempts inside the 20.

Could those numbers actually improve in Champaign? It's possible: Bret Bielema and his staff are known for getting the most out of their specialists, so Crimmins could have a career year ahead of him..

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