College Football

Illinois Football: Preview of the Purdue Boilermakers Defense

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:37 p.m. ET

foxsports

Sep 3, 2016; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Eastern Kentucky Colonels quarterback Bennie Coney (4) is tackled by Purdue Boilermakers defensive tackle Jake Replogle (54) at Ross Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois football team has a solid offense and they will need to score points this weekend against Purdue to come out with a victory.

Purdue has a solid pass defense but their run defense is a little suspect. Here is what the Illini offense will be facing on Saturday.

Defensive Line

The Purdue defensive line is their best attribute on the defensive side of the ball. They have a talented group here that will be a lot to handle for the Illini.

DT Jake Replogle Jr.

Defensive tackle Jake Replogle leads the defensive line in tackles with 25 on the season. He also has added in 1.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.

Replogle is more of a hybrid defensive lineman. He is leaner than most defensive tackles, so I am sure he will put pressure on the Illinois offensive line.

NG Eddy Wilson

The leader of the Purdue Boilermakers in sacks goes to nose guard Eddy Wilson. He has 2.5 sacks on the season to go along with his 10 total tackles.

Wilson is your stereotypical big defense lineman. He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 300-pounds. Illinois could have a tough time running up the middle on Saturday.

DE Evan Panfil

Evan Panfil is right behind Wilson in sacks. He has 2 sacks on the season as well as 10 tackles. He is a strong defense end that could create havoc for the Illini this weekend.

Purdue is filled with big defensive linemen and Panfil fits into that mold. He stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 270-pounds. That is a lot of size to deal with on the edge.

DE Austin Larkin Jr.

Defensive end Austin Larkin is likely to start this weekend. He hasn’t had much playing time this season but has recorded a sack.

Sep 3, 2016; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Eastern Kentucky Colonels tight end Dan Crimmins (18) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown against Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Markus Bailey (21) at Ross Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers

WILL Markus Bailey

The WILL linebacker on the Boilermakers is Markus Bailey. He has recorded 21 tackles on the season as well as 1 interception and 1 pass deflection.

Purdue’s linebackers are a weak part of their defense. I am curious if Bailey’s athleticism can cause chaos for the Illini short passing game.

More from Writing Illini

MIKE Ja’Whaun Bentley

The leading tackler for this Purdue football team is Ja’Whaun Bentley. He currently has 27 tackles and 1 pass deflection on the season.

Bentley is a solid linebacker with great size. He stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 250-pounds, but he has an injured ankle so if he plays that could be an area for the Illini to attack.

BUCK Danny Ezechukwu

The BUCK linebacker for Purdue is Danny Ezechukwu. He has recorded 22 tackles this season and has been one of the main players for the Boilermakers defense the last three seasons.

Ezechukwu is one of the best players Purdue has on their defense. He recorded 71 tackles last season and is well on his way to hit that number this year.

Nov 14, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; Purdue Boilermakers safety Leroy Clark (3) reaches for an overthrown pass by the Northwestern Wildcats in the first quarter at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Backs

CB Da’Wan Hunte

Cornerback Da’Wan Hunte is one of the two starters at the position. He has 10 tackles on the season as well as a tackle for a loss.

illinois fighting illini

Writing Illini 2dIllinois Football: Preview of the Purdue Boilermakers Offense

More headlines around FanSided:

3d - Big Ten: Football Power Rankings After Week Five 3d - Illinois Football: Opening Thoughts Against the Purdue Boilermakers 4d - Illinois Football: Illini Depth Chart Against the Purdue Boilermakers 5d - Illinois Football: Illini Backing Program With "Next Phase"6d - Illinois Football: 3 Illini Players That Impressed Me Against NebraskaMore News at Writing Illini

Hunte hasn’t made a huge impact this season and would really need to step up if Purdue wants to keep the Illini in check.

SS Leroy Clark

Starting strong safety for the Purdue Boilermakers is Leroy Clark. He is 5th on the team in tackles with 19 and he also has an interception as well.

Clark is arguably the best defensive back on the team. He might be quite ineffective on Saturday in the passing game considering Illinois doesn’t pass down the field very often.

FS Navon Mosley

Navon Mosley has also had a solid season so far. He has 19 total tackles as the starting free safety for Purdue.

Mosley is currently 6th on the team in tackles and is one of the keys for the Boilermakers to stop the Illini.

CB Myles Norwood

The best cornerback on Purdue’s football team is Myles Norwood. He has 16 tackles on the season and 2 pass deflections.

Norwood is the main staple for the Boilermakers and is one of the reasons they are only giving up 188.3 yards per game through the air. This ranks No. 28 in the nation.

This article originally appeared on