Bret Bielema and the Morgan family have quite the connection.
The current Illinois coach got to know both Grant and Drew Morgan when the two played their high school football at Greenwood before joining Bielema when he coached Arkansas. Both Grant and Drew started as walk-ons and eventually became All-SEC players.
Now, for Grant, he’s hooking back up with his old coach. Illinois announced Friday that the younger Morgan would be joining Bielema’s Fighting Illini staff as a graduate assistant.
Welcome walk-on turned All-American and Burlsworth Trophy winner @grantmorgan15, who joined the staff as a defensive GA!
Bio » https://t.co/i3hRikaY9S#famILLy // #HTTO // #Illini pic.twitter.com/I1CM9sFeEv
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) April 7, 2023
Morgan, 25, won the Burlsworth Trophy 2021 as the nation’s best former walk-on. A linebacker, he had 312 tackles in his career with the Razorbacks to rank 14th on the all-time list.
Bielema just completed his second season in Champaign. Illinois finished 8-5, their best record since 2007.
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