An Illinois receiver who had previously entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal has decided to stay in Champaign.

Tuesday morning, wide receiver Edwin Carter announced via Twitter that he plans to remove his name from the portal and will return to the Illini football program. It’s a nice boost for new head coach Bret Bielema and the offense heading into the 2021 season.

“Opting out of the transfer portal,” Carter wrote on Twitter. “Coming back to Illinois.”

Carter decided to enter his name in the NCAA transfer portal prior to the start of the B1G’s 2020 season. His return provides some depth for the Fighting Illini at the wide receiver position. Due to injuries and the decision to enter the portal this past year, Carter has played in just one game, and hasn’t hit the field since 2018.

As a freshman, Carter caught 2 passes for a total of 34 yards and 2 touchdowns in a win over Western Illinois in 2018. He was injured on his second touchdown grab and missed the remainder of the season. It was just the second game of the year.

Illinois finished the 2020 season with a 2-6 record. Athletic director Josh Whitman fired Lovie Smith and brought Bielema in to be the next head coach.