Ty Rodgers’ rocky and peculiar Illinois career has officially come to an end, with the former Elite Eight starter entering the 2026 college basketball transfer portal.
Rodgers, who has not played since the 2023-2024 season, entered the transfer portal on Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported. Despite spending the last four years with the Illini, he will have two more seasons of college basketball eligibility.
Rodgers’ case has been one of the strangest in recent college basketball history. The Saginaw, Michigan, native started all 38 games of Illinois’ 2024 Elite Eight run, then shockingly decided to redshirt the following season to supposedly improve his game. He was expected to return in 2025-2026 but missed the entire season after suffering a preseason knee injury.
Rodgers’ announcement comes one day after the Illini confirmed that starters David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic and Jake Davis would be returning, along with backup center Zvonimir Ivisic. Illinois is still waiting an official decision from guard Andrej Stojakovic, who was second on the team with 13.5 points per game in his first season with Brad Underwood.
While losing a former starter on a successful team would typically hurt, Rodgers’ prolonged absence significantly softens the blow. Illinois has not missed him much, as players like Davis and Mirkovic have absorbed his role as the team’s physical defender while bringing other offensive skills to the table that Rodgers lacks.
Rodgers, a former four-star recruit, committed to Illinois after also visiting Alabama, Michigan State, Xavier and Memphis, according to 247 Sports. He also received offers from Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue and Houston, among others, before pledging himself to the Illini.
Ty Rodgers’ rocky and peculiar Illinois career has officially come to an end, with the former Elite Eight starter entering the 2026 college basketball transfer portal. Rodgers, who has not played since the 2023-2024 season, entered the transfer portal on Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported.