Ean Rhea is a defensive lineman from Glade Spring, Virginia, who attended Patrick Henry High School before playing at Emory & Henry. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, he recorded 45 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles across 11 games. In 2024 as a sophomore, Rhea started all 11 games and posted 41 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and five sacks. During his junior year in 2025, he earned First Team All-American honors and South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year after tallying 50 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 12.0 sacks. Rhea now returns to Illinois as a senior.