Who are Illinois' current projected offensive line starters? "Last year at this event it was brought up how many players we had returning on the offensive line," Bielema said. Bielema then rattled off five players whom he impied are the leading in-house competitors at their respective positions on the offensive line, while also noting their relative experience levels. Brandon Henderson is our right guard – only returning player [on the offensive line] – who has been a starter for two years. Why Illinois' offensive line play matters so much in 2026To be clear, O-line performance is, and has been, a big deal for every football team since before anyone even considered strapping on a leather helmet.