NORMAL - Two areas of the Illinois State football team impacted by graduation have been addressed with the additions of former University of Pittsburgh players Kelvin Chandler and Nick Williams.

Chandler is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound wide receiver, while Williams is a 6-2, 275-pound defensive lineman. Both are enrolled in summer classes at ISU and will have two years of eligibility with the Redbirds.

Chandler also spent time at defensive back at Pitt. He played in nine games in 2004 as a true freshman and caught four passes for 47 yards. He was redshirted in 2005 and did not see game action last season.

"Kelvin is a tall, rangy, gifted athlete," ISU coach Denver Johnson said. "He started at Pittsburgh as a wide receiver and was moved to the secondary but really wanted to play receiver. I think that's what brought him to us. We are happy to have him and anxious to get him into the fold so we can start polishing his skills to fit into our system."

Chandler attended Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He caught 14 passes for 257 yards as a senior in a run-oriented offense. He also excelled in the high jump and triple jump in track and field.

ISU lost its top two receivers from last season in Pierre Jackson and Laurent Robinson, who was a third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons. Jackson and Robinson combined for 86 receptions, 1,508 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The top returning Redbird receivers are Jason Horton (33 catches, 500 yards) and Jake Rourke (16, 345). ISU also added a junior college transfer receiver in Ro Grigsby, while Normal Community receiver Marcus King is part of the team's prep recruiting class.

Williams redshirted during his initial year at Pitt. He played in eight games and had eight tackles and one sack in 2005 before not seeing action last season.

"Quality defensive linemen are hard to come by and Nick has the height, weight and speed we were looking for," Johnson said. "He's a guy who brings the measurable things, but he also brings the immeasurables, too. He is a competitive young man who will fit and blend well with our defensive squad."

Williams was rated among the top 80 high school prospects in Florida by SuperPrep. He had 60 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions in six games as a linebacker. He missed the final six games of his senior season at Plantation (Fla.) High School with a concussion.

Williams figures to bolster the interior of the ISU defensive line, which lost a four-year starter in Justin Martindale to graduation.