Illinois’ interior offensive line must improve to compete in the Big Ten

Mounting Injuries and Lack of Depth

Injuries have plagued the Fighting Illini's offensive line during the 2022 season, leaving the team thin and inexperienced in the trenches. Starting center Alex Palczewski suffered a season-ending knee injury in week 2, forcing redshirt freshman Owen Carney to step into the role. Carney has shown promise but needs more game experience to reach his full potential. Redshirt junior guard Alex Pihlstrom has missed the past two games due to an undisclosed injury, further depleting the team's depth.

Inexperience and Lack of Size

The interior offensive line unit is lacking experience and size this season. Pihlstrom and junior guard Isaiah Adams are the only players in the two-deep with more than 10 career starts. Carney and redshirt sophomore guard Zy Crisler saw limited action in 2021 and are still adjusting to full-time starting roles. The lack of size is also a concern, as the Illini's interior offensive linemen are some of the smallest in the Big Ten. Redshirt senior tackle Julian Pearl is the largest player on the unit at 6'7" and 320 pounds, but he is primarily used as a backup.

Solution and Key Additions for Improvement

In order to improve, the offensive line needs to get healthier and gain more experience. Carney and Crisler will need to continue to develop and become more consistent in their play. The team's interior linemen will also need to get stronger and add some weight to better compete with their Big Ten counterparts. Adding depth must also be a priority on the interior over the offseason. The Illini brought in several offensive line transfers during the 2023 recruiting cycle, including FCS All-American tackle Josh Gesky (Northern Iowa), guard Fernando Garza (New Mexico), and center A.J. Perry (Colorado). These players could help provide the Illini with depth and experience on the interior offensive line in 2023.