There has been plenty of hand-wringing about Bret Bielema and his ability to recruit at Illinois.

The improvement in in-state recruiting is the biggest story of the bunch. And to be clear, that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Lovie Smith was better at pretty much every function of his job than he was at in-state recruiting. Some examples include:

• Scoring points against Iowa
• Naming defensive coordinators
• Avoiding nepotism hires
• Exuding youthful charisma on the sidelines
• Consistently going to bowl games

By the end of his tenure, Coach Smith had virtually abandoned the notion of keeping top talent in-state. He focused on Texas, Florida, and whatever Cory Patterson could bring in from St. Louis/East Metro.

But Lovie Smith did do one significant non-facial hair-related thing better than Coach Bielema. Lovie brought in high-end, highly effective talent from the transfer portal.

Lovie knew Illinois would never be the top choice for five-star prep prospects. But if those players got buried on Michigan’s depth chart or get forced out of the rotation at USC, perhaps Illinois could be their last stop on the road to recapturing their NFL value.

The Illini’s 2019 portal haul was largely responsible for the Illini making a bowl game. And no, we don’t need to discuss the bowl game. Not going to make you relive that.

But Brandon Peters, Oluwole Betiku, Richie Petitbon, Chase Brown, and Josh Imatorbhebhe all made massive contributions to an Illini bowl berth.

To exceed expectations in 2024, the Illini have to party like it’s 2019.

For the Illini to have a similar 2024, Bielema’s portal additions have to make a significant impact on a roster that has been gutted by draft and portal departures.

This staff has excelled in finding quarterback talent in the portal. That has been a clear area of success.

But the overwhelming majority of the non-QB portal acquisitions have been lackluster in terms of consistency and productivity. But this year’s class includes multiple true impact players.

I would go as far as to say the portal finds who will be healthy enough to play this season could be worth a win, which could mean the difference between 5-7 and 6-6.

Terrance Brooks

Brooks is a former all-conference Big 12 defender. And while nobody is Devon Witherspoon, he is a legitimate star defensive back from a top program. He projects as an immediate shutdown starter who can play on an island. His time with Aaron Henry and Corey Parker could determine how bright his NFL future can be.

Make no mistake: he’s an absolute necessity. Last year’s Illini secondary got torched by the likes of Indiana and Northwestern. It was the opposite of the triumphant 2022 campaign in which a secondary largely recruited by Lovie Smith’s staff clamped opposing receivers better than any group in the country.

Brooks represents a return to form for an Illini defensive backfield that enabled the Illini front to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. Brooks is not only the key in shutting down opposing air raid offenses, but he matters a great deal in enabling Gabe Jacas and Seth Coleman to get home more often.

All three could hear their names called in the NFL Draft.

Cole Rusk

Yes, he is missing this season with an injury. But he still has tremendous long-term potential as a weapon for Luke Altmyer/Donovan Leary/Trey Petty.

JC Davis

Bold prediction: he’s the most likely Illini player to find his way into the first two days of the 2025 draft. His PFF numbers last year were tremendous, and he has looked the part thus far.

Plug-and-play left tackles are rare finds. Davis could have stayed out west. But he took the challenge to pay for Bart Miller and Bret Bielema. His stabilizing presence enables the rest of the offensive line to settle into their more natural positions. Davis could wind up making the biggest overall impact of a stellar transfer portal haul.

Wait, you wanted to talk about another guy?

Zahkari Franklin

Barry Lunney Jr. achieved some of his best success as a coordinator with Zakhari Franklin as his top target.

In Champaign, Franklin doesn’t have to be a target monster. He doesn’t even have to be the guy.

He just has to be healthy. And with Luke Altmyer in year two, the sky for the receiving corps is the limit.

Franklin and Pat Bryant give Illinois two proven, productive pass catchers with the versatility to line up all over a wide variety of formations.

Add in the mouth-watering potential of Malik Elzy, the roof-tearing speed of Kenari Wilcher, the freakish measurables of Ashton Hollins, the wizardry of Hank Beaty, and the mystery of Alex Capka-Jones, and Justin Stepp has a full clip to deploy.