Kofi Cockburn had plenty of Illinois fans worried during the offseason, but that’s over now. The star center is heading back to Champaign.

Cockburn announced on Instagram Friday that he’ll be returning to Illinois for one more season. He had been in the NCAA transfer portal and considering other options.

Cockburn declared for the NBA Draft at the end of the 2020-21 season but kept his college eligibility. He withdrew before the deadline after testing the waters.

Three schools were in contention to land Cockburn: Illinois, Kentucky and Florida State.

Cockburn was excellent as a sophomore with the Illini, scoring 17.7 points per game en route to second-team All-American honors. He helped lead the Illini to a Big Ten Tournament championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois also lost star guard Ayo Dosunmu this offseason as he prepares to play in the NBA. Brad Underwood’s squad is expected to remain competitive next season, but it will be a younger and less-experienced lineup.

The return of Cockburn is a huge boost to Illinois heading into next season.