CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – The transfer portal is common and popular in the modern world of college football.

However, it’s not common for a team to get three players from one school in a single offseason via the portal. For the Illini, it was three players from a conference foe.

Curt Neal, Leon Lowery and James Thompson Jr. all transferred to Illinois from Wisconsin after the 2024 season. Neal and Thompson play defensive line, while Lowery is an outside linebacker.

“Me and James went on our visit together, but Leon fell in love with Illinois,” Neal told reporters in Champaign on Monday. “So like once Illinois reached out to me and James we were like ‘Bro, if we could all team up that would be like amazing.’ So, it all just happened naturally. It wasn’t planned, it just happened very natural.”

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Lowery visited first and said good things to his teammates from Madison.

“I’m glad them guys are here with me,” Lowery said on Tuesday. “We talk every day still. Just want to be where we are and be where our mind is, and just keep our feet one foot after the other and keep going forward.”

The success of Illinois football in 2024, combined with the potential for even more in 2025 with a bulk of its starters returning, attracted these players and others.