Witherspoon brings energy and swag to Illini secondary
Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters has no problem with Devon Witherspoon playing a few mind games with the opponent. Witherspoon’s trash talking has become stuff of legend at Illinois over the last three seasons.
Witherspoon is expected to be the Illini’s top cornerback entering this season after largely playing second fiddle to Nate Hobbs and Tony Adams during his first three seasons with the Illini.
With Hobbs entering his second season with the Las Vegas Raiders and Adams in training camp with the New York Jets, Witherspoon Island is taking weekly reservations on the edge of Walters' defense.
“I like to be on the edge a little,” Witherspoon said. “That makes the game more fun, more interesting. It just keeps the game more interesting. It helps everyone around me bring more energy to the field of play. I got to talk trash. It’s just me. I can’t live without doing it.”
Witherspoon is now the Illini’s most experienced cornerback, with 20 starts under his belt going back to his freshman season in 2019
As a sophomore, he started seven games and recorded his first-career interception on a nice play against Minnesota’s star wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Last season, Witherspoon earned recognition as All-Big Ten honorable mention after recording 52 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack and nine pass breakups on the season.
Witherspoon will be the leader of the Illini CB’s, and one of the most experienced players on the Illini defense along with safeties Sydney Brown and Quan Martin. The Illini cornerback room is rather young overall aside from Witherspoon and Tahveon Nicholson, who played in eight games a year ago.
“It’s still surprising to me that I’m the oldest in the room,” Witherspoon said. “But I try to keep that on me. It’s not just about you. It’s about elevating the room.”
To elevate the room, Witherspoon challenged himself in the offseason. He’s more physically impressive after obviously spending a lot of time in the weight room.
The change isn’t just physical. Walters said ‘Spoon’ has taken a jump from a maturity standpoint and his understanding of the game as well.
“It’s a consistency with the details,” Walters said of the changes in Witherspoon in the last several months. “Especially when he gets on the field. His football awareness, identifying formations and calling out splits and trying to call out route concepts before you see them.”
The more muscular frame, increased football IQ, and natural cover skills have Witherspoon’s name popping up on NFL Draft boards.
“It is so motivating,” Witherspoon said. “And it’s really kind of surprising to me. As a kid, you kind of talk about it, but as it’s happening, wow, I try to not let it distract me though. I see it and then I’m like ‘Okay, it’s nothing. Just keep playing ball and be better than you were last year.’”
Witherspoon gets energy from being vocal and having fun on the football field. He feels that he plays better when he’s chirping opponents – it’s something that he’s always done and he’s perfected it over time.
“I got to talk my stuff,” Witherspoon said. “I’ve been like that since I was just a kid having fun. If you can’t have fun out there, then you probably can’t have a good day. So just always go back to why you started playing football, and just a little talk now and then. It keeps the game interesting and fun.”
He can back it up. Witherspoon is becoming a lockdown cover corner for the Illini, and he looks poised for a big season this fall. He has that positive cockiness that you need at the CB position, and it’s contagious.
“If your teammates see you’re playing with a lot of confidence, that’ll probably boost their confidence,” Witherspoon said. “Especially the young guys as they watch us play. I bring the energy and the swag. I can say that for sure because I like to have my teammates hyped up, keep their energy flowing.”