Bret Bielema Once Helped Reel In Two NFL Stars In Pre-Transfer Portal Days

Shandel Richardson | Aug 1, 2024

Jul 23, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois coach Bret Bielema has reason for being a huge fan of the transfer portal.

Before it existed, Bielema imported future NFL stars JJ Watt and Russell Wilson while he was coaching at Wisconsin. Watt (Central Michigan) and Wilson (North Carolina State) started elsewhere before linking with Bielema.

"That was before the portal but it was guys that were coming from outside our program and came in and had great success," Bielema said earlier this week on an appearance on the Jim Rome Show. "Those are things that we're looking for."  

.@BretBielema on why this is actually the best time ever to be a college football coach. pic.twitter.com/RM7yXgIxT0

— Jim Rome (@jimrome) July 31, 2024

Here's more of what Bielema said about the portal:

ON THE BENEFITS OF IT

"Quite simply, when I left college football, I went in the NFL for three years," Bielema said. "I was with the Patriots for two years, the Giants. What I quickly learned during free agency was you take an immediate need and address it through free agents or trades. In reality, that's what the portal window opened up." 

ON THIS SEASON'S ADDITIONS

"I knew we needed some help at certain positions at the end of last year's season," Bielema said. "So we went and addressed it. The University gave us the support."

"We've literally added a bunch of transfer portal guys," Bielema said. "We have a wide receiver that started over 40 games {Zakhari Franklin}. We have a tackle (J.C. Davis) that started over 20, other players that have started multiple years. It may have not been at Illinois but they've been starters. We've got a corner (Terrance Brooks) that started 20 games at Texas, played in a college football playoff game. 

ON MORE ADVANTAGES OF THE PORTAL

"To bring that in a room, you get to immediately address positions of needs," Bielema said. "Now, you've got to build them, you've got to culture and figure out if they're a fit but that ability has never been there before." 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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