Okay, so I wanted to get a better handle on the Illinois football team’s roster, specifically their depth chart. I’ve found it hard to keep track of who’s playing where, especially with all the changes from season to season. So, I decided to make my own, visual depth chart.
First, I scoured the internet for any existing depth charts. The official team website usually has one, but sometimes it’s not fully updated, or it’s buried in some obscure menu. I also checked out some fan forums and sports news sites, just to see if anyone else had already put something together. I got a few different versions, some outdated, some incomplete, but it gave me a starting point.
Then, I opened up a simple spreadsheet. Google Sheets is my go-to because it’s free and easy to use. I created columns for each position: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, and Special Teams. Then, within each column, I started listing players, trying to put them in order of who I thought was the starter, second string, third string, and so on. This part was tricky, relying on my memory of recent games and any news I’d read about injuries or player performance.
- QB: I felt pretty confident about putting player A as the starter.
- RB: This was tougher, with a few guys vying for playing time.
- WR: Wide receiver had a clear top two, but then it got murky.
I spent a good hour just filling in names, moving them around, and second-guessing myself. I realized I needed a better way to visualize this, not just a list. So, I decided to use bold text for who I thought were the likely starters, and regular text for the backups. That helped a bit.
Next, I thought about adding some color-coding. Maybe I could use one color for seniors, another for juniors, and so on. That would help me see the experience level at each position. I haven’t implemented that yet, but it’s on my to-do list.
I save frequently, and after it, I found I can easy to review Illinois depth chart.
It’s definitely a work in progress. I’m sure I’ll be tweaking it throughout the season as I watch more games and read more updates. But, having this document, even in its imperfect state, helps me feel a little more organized and informed about the team. It’s way better than trying to keep all this information in my head!
