Watch now: Illinois linebacker Ezekiel Holmes gets his turn at outside linebacker – The Pantagraph

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois linebacker Ezekiel Holmes felt free. Put on kickoff coverage, he was able to run down the field with his mind at ease and hit.

“That kind of felt good because it’s just like running down the field,” Holmes said. “Just like no worries it’s just tackling the ball. I think that’s one of the things that gets me revved up as well as playing on defense — being able to play with my teammates on defense and getting stops.”

It wasn’t the most glamorous role, but with a pair of veteran edge rushers ahead of Holmes he was able to play in all 12 games by doing most of his work on special teams.

“If there was a better divide player on kickoff coverage last year, I’d like to see it,” Bielema said. “Like he was a man child. But he bought into that role.”

After spending last season as a special teams ace, Holmes will transition to the role of being one of the likely starters at outside linebacker now that Isaiah Gay and Owen Carney have both moved on.

Linebackers coach Kevin Kane has told Holmes he wants him to bring out a Jekyll and Hyde kind of attitude with some more aggressiveness akin to what he did on special teams.

Kane and Bielema have always liked what Holmes has offered off the field. He’s become a vital teacher for a position room that’s gotten a lot younger.

“Ever since I’ve been here, Zeke kind of has his own little beat, right?” Bielema said. “He’s always done everything right. I love his demeanor.”

Now coaches just want some meanness to translate a little more when Holmes is on the field.

“I’ve been starting to realize my role — like what I have to do in order to fulfill what Coach Kane sees that I can do,” Holmes said. “I feel like on the field that’s being more aggressive, being more violent, striking, pass-rushing, dropping back in coverage … things like that.”

Being behind Gay and Carney for the past couple of years meant that Holmes has a roadmap for this season.

“I really learned a lot from them and like how to play or how to play off of a block, how to rush,” Holmes said. “So I really thank those guys a lot for teaching me a lot of their ways.”

Those two also were a roadblock for consistent playing time. Holmes got some work as a rotational piece last season, but waited until his fifth year with the Illini as a redshirt junior to get his chance at consistent playing time.

“Honestly, the only thing I can say is — I’ve been told this a lot — but patience is a virtue,” Holmes said. “Just wait for your time to come.”

After all that waiting, that time appears to be now.

“I think he saw OC and IG playing at a high level, and he’s like, ‘As soon as I get my chance, I want to be there,'” Bielema said. “So he’s really had a good summer.”

Snyder wants aggressive return game

Special teams coordinator Sean Snyder laid out some of his strategy for returns after practice Thursday.

With the introduction of the fair catch rule for kickoffs in 2018 and an increase in touchbacks, teams are returning fewer kicks than they used to. Illinois might not be part of that trend.

“If there’s an option to be aggressive, I lean on the aggressive side,” Snyder said.

Snyder coached All-American returners Tyler Lockett and Morgan Burns, and said that on punt returns he wants to be aggressive as well with his system putting the unit in the best spot to initiate a return.

On the kick coverage side he wants the inverse.

“I want the percentages to favor really low that anything gets started against us in the punt game,” Snyder said. “And as far as our starts, I want the percentage to be really high in the punt return game.”

Receiver Isaiah Williams has gotten some work as a return man and could offer some dynamism fielding kicks and punts.

“He’s quick,” Snyder said. “He runs really well. Smart. He’ll be a good decision maker and he catches the ball real well. That’s about it.”