Illini Coach Bret Bielema Expect Veteran Cornerback To Have Strong Impact This Season

Shandel Richardson | Jul 23, 2024

Sep 8, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Tyler Strain (20) celebrates after tackling Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Quentin Skinner (0) during the first half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Experience is one of the most overlooked stats in college football.

While Illinois Fighting Illini junior Tyler Strain doesn't have eye-popping numbers, he does bring more to the secondary. He enters this season with 28 games played, including appearances in every game the past two seasons.

Illini coach Bret Bielema feels Strain is among the potential surprise impact players this fall.

"On the corner, a guy that hasn't gotten a lot of outside pub, a guy that last spring and this winter and this summer has had as good of time is Tyler Strain," Bielema said Tuesday at Big Ten media days. "He's a guy that's played a lot of football for us. He's taken a step in the right direction. Super pumped to see exactly where he goes and where he's at."

Last year Strain started five games, so count him being in the lineup even more.

ILLINI PUT IN EFFORT TO GET TEXAS TRANSFER

Bielema also detailed how they lured Texas transfer cornerback Terrance Brooks.

The Illini staff only communicated with Brook's parents during the recruiting process. Brooks was focused on final exams. So Bielema spent a week talking with the parents before learning Brooks was entering the transfer portal in April.

"I literally was in Orlando at [former Illini defensive tackle] Johnny Newton's draft party and we got word of Terrance being in the portal," Bielema said. "I told [defensive coordinator] Aaron Henry who with us, who was going to go on and do some other recruiting. I said, `No, you're hopping on a plane and going to Dallas and I want you to meet his Mom and Dad even if he's not there. So we literally set the precedence there about how much of a priority he was for us."

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

Follow our updates and coverage on Facebook

X: @IlliniNowOnSI