The Illinois football team got one for the thumb for its defensive line Friday via the NCAA transfer portal.
Eli Coenen committed to the Fighting Illini, he posted on social media, becoming their fifth defensive line transfer acquisition of the offseason. The 6-foot-7, 275-pounder comes in from NCAA Division-II Bemidji State.
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He notched 20 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery as a redshirt freshman, and brings three more years of eligibility with him to Illinois.
The Baldwin, Wisconsin, native is a depth player for a unit that lost two players to the NFL and one in the portal. He joins a group that has picked up transfers James Thompson Jr. (Wisconsin), Curt Neal (Wisconsin), Tomiwa Durojaiye (Florida State) and Carter Hewitt (Northern Iowa).
Coenen was a defensive end in high school, and a center for the basketball team.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois football adds defensive line depth via NCAA transfer portal
