Eight days after the start of training camp at the University of Illinois in 2019, Devon Witherspoon walked in and his teammates eyed him for the first time.

At 5-foot-11, he weighed between 148 and 158 pounds, depending on who you believe, and his legs didn’t have much more meat on them than an impala’s.

There were looks.

One of the media relations people assumed he was a student manager.

There were comments.

One player to another: “He little. What he gonna do?”

Witherspoon, interjecting: “You don’t know me, bro.”

A third player: “You so skinny. What can you bring to the team?”

Witherspoon: “Bro, I can play this game.”

At the time, his statement was debatable.

He came to the Big Ten as a zero-star recruit with two years of playing experience.

Four years later, perceptions have changed thanks to 30 pounds, 25 pass breakups, five interceptions, the Big Ten defensive back of the year award and seven first-team All-America honors.

“He’s got a chance to be the best corner in the draft,” an AFC general manager says. “He’s the most complete of all of them.”

He also is the scrappiest and loudest. And almost indisputably, Witherspoon is the one with the best story.