Illinois added more depth to its receiving corps after signing Illinois transfer Eddie Kasper on Thursday
Illinois has lost a handful of receivers in the offseason, including go-to target Hank Beatty and portal departures Alexander-Capka Jones and Mario Sanders II. But Illini coach Bret BIelema has done a solid job of retooling at the position since, and the Illini continued to tweak further when they signed Illinois State transfer Eddie Kasper on Thursday.
Kasper is a graduate transfer who has one more year of eligibility. A 5-foot-10, 160-pound slot receiver, Kasper played the first four years of his career at Illinois State, where he racked up 137 receptions for 1,198 yards and three touchdowns in 41 games. Kasper gets out of his breaks well, has good hands and is capable of making the first man miss – but he isn't afraid to take a hit. He's also a solid blocker for his size. Kasper's best season came two years ago, when he caught 52 passes for 440 yards and a touchdown as a redshirt sophomore. In 2025, he finished with 36 receptions for 322 yards and a touchdown, and helped ISU reach the FCS national championship game. Kasper also has experience as a punt returner, having returned 32 punts for 129 yards.Outside of Hudson Clement and Collin Dixon, there are a lot of unknowns at the wide receiver position in Champaign. Illinois added its fair share of wide receivers via the portal – including Alex Perry , Jayshon Platt and Ty Robinson – but until spring ball starts, it's way too early to start slotting players on the depth chart. But who knows? Maybe Kasper and transfer quarterback Katin Houser develop strong chemistry right away and he finds his way into the mix as a Beatty 2.0 version. Obviously, summer camp will be even more telling, but for now, don't be surprised if Kasper lands pretty low on the depth chart. He could potentially see the field on special teams, but with the Illini adding three wide receivers via the portal, plus the addition of freshman Nasir Rankin, the odds are against him.Kasper's brother, Kyler Kasper, is a redshirt junior wide receiver at Oregon, and their uncle, Kevin Kasper, played wide receiver at Iowa and spent eight years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.Illinois opens its 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against UAB. Kickoff time for the game will be announced at a later date.Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster.
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