When Illinois opens what could be a critical season for head coach Tim Beckman, they will do so without one of their top players on the defensive line. Senior defensive end Jihad Ward will sit out the beginning of the season due to a knee injury.
Ward will undergo surgery to address an injury suffered this week in practice. Illinois did not announce which knee was injured but did suggest Ward is expected to miss the first two or three weeks before eventually returning to the team this season. His absence will be a tough one for the Illini, as Ward received honorable All-Big Ten honors last season after finishing second in the nation in fumble recoveries. Ward started all 13 games for the Illini last fall, recording 51 tackles and 8.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. For his efforts, Ward was voted the defensive newcomer of the year at Illinois. Among his highlights from last fall came against Northwestern when Ward recorded a sack, forced a fumble and recovered the fumble on the same play.
While Ward is out of the mix in the trenches, Illinois is expected to move junior Dawuane Smoot into the starting line-up. Smoot played in all 13 games for the Illini last season as a sophomore, so he is not without some experience.
Illinois opens the 2015 season at home on Friday, September 4 against Kent State. The next two games for the Illini are at home against Western Illinois and on the road at North Carolina.