Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton has confirmed he will enter the 2024 NFL draft, where he is expected to be a first-round pick.
Newton told reporters he will play in Saturday’s regular-season finale as 5-6 Illinois attempts to become bowl eligible with a win over Northwestern, but if Illinois does play in a bowl he’ll be cheering on his teammates but not playing.
“It’s really important for me, trying to get my teammates one more game to play in,” Newton said, via ESPN. “I know a lot of people don’t have careers after this, a lot of people won’t go to the NFL, so just to have people playing one more game together as a unit, seeing my team play, that would be really big for me.”
Newton is one of the five finalists for the Nagurski Award as the best defensive player in college football, and some mock drafts have him going in the Top 10.
Illinois defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. also confirmed he will enter the 2024 draft. He said he is unsure if he will play in a bowl game.
