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Report: Illinois linebacker enters NCAA transfer portal after 1 season with Illini

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:

An Illinois linebacker will look at playing college football elsewhere. According to reports, Illini linebacker Kalen Villanueva has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

Villanueva joins a surge of transfer portal entries ahead of a May 1 deadline to enter and play in the 2022 college football season. The deadline is for entering the portal, meaning Villanueva can transfer after the May 1 date and play this fall. He could also withdraw from the transfer portal and rejoin the Illini, depending on his scholarship situation with Illinois.

On the 247Sports Composite, Villanueva was a 3-star recruit out of Virginia. He signed as part of Illinois’ 2021 recruiting class over offers from Army, Cambell, Navy, Pennsylvania and William & Mary.

Villanueva missed the 2021 season due to injury.

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.