New-look offensive line still a 'work in progress' for Illini
· Yahoo Sports
Apr. 10—CHAMPAIGN — The challenge facing Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller isn't just replacing four multi-year starters from back-to-back bowl teams.
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Miller also has to find a way to make up for their absence within his position group — on and off the football field — where three-year starting center Josh Kreutz had an outsize presence.
"It's probably my biggest challenge this spring," Miller said this week. "It's not a knock of anybody in the room, but it's inevitable when you lose four senior leaders. They were all leaders in their own right — especially your alpha at the center position. That's a hard thing to fix right off the bat.
"As talented as we are, we are trying to develop some of that continuity. We have nine new guys in the room. That's a big deal as you're getting those guys in. The guys who are returning haven't played a lot of football. They're all competing for the same spots, too, so there's a fair amount of that you're juggling, as well. Building that O-line camaraderie and unit is a big deal. Trying to develop some leadership."
Brandon Henderson is the only returning starter on the Illinois offensive line, and his 19 starts across the past three seasons dwarf anyone else on the roster. TJ McMillen started at center at Purdue last season with Kreutz sidelined because of an injury, and Nathan Knapik started the Music City Bowl at left tackle after J.C. Davis opted out.
The group of 20 offensive linemen Miller has to work with this spring, however, is built primarily with junior college and early enrollee freshmen newcomers and returning backups who haven't yet seen the field in Champaign.
"Kreutz led that team for three years — was the leader of the offensive line for three years," said McMillen, who served as the understudy at center in that stretch. "It's been a big dynamic change. You know how Kreutz is. He was that leader, kind of put his foot down for everything. Filling those shoes is a little bit tough, but it's been good, and I think we've done a good job with it so far.
"You've had a change in leadership. I know I've had to step up in that role. I think I've stepped into that pretty well and showed these guys how we do it in the Big Ten and how we play at Illinois."
With Wisconsin transfer Jake Renfro unavailable this spring after missing most of the 2025 season in Madison, Wis., because of knee and ankle injuries, McMillen has slid into the top spot at center. Henderson and JUCO transfer Maika Matelau have repped with the first group at guard, and Knapik and Colorado State transfer Christian Martin currently project at the top of the depth chart at tackle.
Miller said he's mixed and matched the second and third units to figure out who he has and who can play in that group. True freshmen Champ Smith, Kai Pritchard and Landen Von Seggern have all impressed and earned reps in the second group, but Miller is looking for some of his younger returning players to take advantage of what he considers an open competition for playing time on the line.
Something Miller called a "work in progress" albeit "productive" midway through Illinois' slate of spring practices.
"Frustrating at times, as you can imagine," the Illinois offensive line coach continued. "That's what spring's for is to see growth, to see development and see the guys get better every day. We've slowed down the install quite a bit with so many new faces and varied levels of experience, in all honesty. It's the time for some of those young guys that were on the look teams before to step up."
A new wrinkle for Miller in getting his new-look offensive line up to speed is the change in the Illinois defense under new coordinator Bobby Hauck. A shift in scheme that's forced the offensive linemen — particularly the returners — to identify defensive looks more than they have in previous spring practices.
"It makes teaching and installing things difficult, but at the same time, it's going to be great for us to see the challenges on a daily basis and make us better at things that maybe in the past we have struggled with," Miller said. "It's been awesome to work with Coach Hauck and his staff and see the different looks that we're seeing and try to understand and teach conceptually instead of just a look."