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Top Illinois running back returning for final season in Champaign
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Illinois’ offense received some major news on Saturday morning.
Top running back Reggie Corbin will return to Champaign for his final season with the Illini, passing on the opportunity to enter his name for the 2019 NFL Draft. He made the announcement with a short and sweet statement on Twitter.
“Year 5, let’s get it!” Corbin wrote.
Year 5, Let’s get it! @IlliniFootball pic.twitter.com/yZ5r1IrRrH
— Reggie Corbin (@ReggieCorbin) January 12, 2019
Corbin’s return is huge for the Illinois offense, which saw major improvement under new offensive coordinator Rod Smith in 2018. The star running back rushed for 1,085 yards last fall, ranking sixth among B1G ball carriers.
He accounted for nine rushing touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 176 yards.
The 2018 campaign was a bit of a bounce-back year for Corbin. In 2017, after dealing with injuries and battling playing time, Corbin rushed for just 78 yards on 18 carries. His role was significantly diminished from the 2016 season, when he tallied 523 yards and two touchdowns on 86 touches.
Corbin’s abilities were utilized much more effectively last season, which led to an improvement in the Illinois offense. The Illini averaged 243 yards per game on the ground in 2018, an improvement of over 130 yards per game from the previous fall. Smith’s offense ranked second in rushing in the B1G.
For his career, Corbin has rushed for 1,686 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s added 215 receiving yards and appeared in 32 career games.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB