Teko Powell transferring from Illinois, cites program instability as reason for departure|Illinois Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

Fighting Illini football’s depth chart has taken another hit. On Wednesday, defensive lineman Teko Powell informed The News-Gazette of his intent to transfer from the program after four years in Champaign. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound junior was forced to miss 22 games over the past two years — including the entire 2015 season — with various foot injuries. Powell will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out this Fall.

Teko Powell transferring: ‘I’m looking for a more stable program.’ Story on former #Illini https://t.co/dp7pSpigeT pic.twitter.com/aUlrqJjRDn

— Matt Daniels (@mdaniels_NG) June 22, 2016

In 19 career games, Powell recorded a total of 34 tackles (1.0 TFL) for the Orange and Blue. While injury history may have played a big factor in this decision, Powell instead pointed towards a lack of program stability as a driving force for his departure. That makes sense, considering he’s had relationships with four different head coaches at Illinois.

“I didn’t have the best career at Illinois. I had four different head coaches that either recruited me or coached me. I’m looking for a more stable program with the last two years of eligibility that I’ll have.”

Kentucky, Miami, and Southern Illinois have already reached out to Powell, so it certainly appears he won’t have a limited number options. Hopefully he’s able to stay healthy and contribute wherever he ends ups.