The Illinois Fighting Illini were a pleasant surprise in 2010, finishing over .500 and earning a bid to the Texas Bowl where they whooped up on Baylor...
Ron Zook led the Illinois Fighting Illini to a 7-6 finish in the Big Ten last season. A year later, he enters the season minus his best offensive and defensive weapon from a year before...
Big Ten Football: Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase Is Set for a Breakout Campaign
Jun 27, 2011
Illinois Fighting Illini fans are well aware that words such as promise and potential only mean so much and can only take a quarterback so far before a question arises—can we win with this guy or not?
The Fighting Illini faithful were forced to witness it firsthand recently. They watched quarterback Juice Williams, a once promising star recruit, deteriorate with each passing season until his career in Champaign finally fizzled out like a dud firework in 2009.
Williams never came close to living up to his lofty recruiting status, and although he was able to guide Illinois to a Rose Bowl berth in 2007, his career went downhill in a hurry shortly thereafter.
Williams’ successor, Nathan Scheelhaase, a former four-star recruit out of Missouri’s Rockhurst High School, arrived at Illinois amid similar fanfare and with the same type of hype and expectations attached to his name as his predecessor.
Like Williams, Scheelhaase was projected to be a versatile dual-threat quarterback who could tear up a defense with either his arm or his legs.
So far, after just one season, that forecast appears to be spot on.
In just his first year as a starter, Scheelhaase proved to be the type of game-changer that everyone hoped Juice Williams could have been.
Even though he was only a redshirt freshman, the 6'3'', 195-pound ultra-athletic signal caller was able to guide the Illini to just their second winning season in nine years. He added a dominant statement victory over Baylor in the Texas Bowl to top things off.
Scheelhaase finished the 2010 season with over 1,800 yards through the air, 868 yards on the ground and 22 total touchdowns. And his performance as both a passer and a runner solidified his status as a valuable weapon and an important element to the Illinois offense.
Since he doesn’t play for one of the sport’s prominent programs, Scheelhaase failed to make much of an impact on the national college football scene in 2010. But that could be about to change this season.
The Big Ten conference already has a bona fide star, dual-threat quarterback in Michigan’s Denard Robinson. Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez and Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson, two proven difference makers, will also be joining the party this year.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the two pro-style pocket passers, Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins and Northwestern’s Dan Persa, who will demand their fair share of attention as well.
Needless to say, the Big Ten is going to be overflowing with quality quarterbacks in 2011. Setting yourself apart from the crowd will be no easy task. But Scheelhaase seems like he could have that special "it" factor that warrants the spotlight.
His uncanny resemblance to former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, right down to the No. 2 that both wear, is a tad bit eerie.
Maybe when it’s all said and done, Scheelhaase will be everything we wanted Terrelle Pryor to be. Maybe he’ll turn out to be the player that Illinois fans were hoping they were getting with Juice Williams.
Maybe, just maybe, he’ll turn into the savior for much-criticized head coach Ron Zook.
Saying Scheelhaase is going to carry Illinois to the top of the loaded Leaders division this season is certainly a bit of a stretch at this point. But it’s obvious that the potential is there for Scheelhaase to become one of the breakout stars of the Big Ten in 2011.
Learn how to say his name now Big Ten fans, because you might be putting plenty of expletives in front of it when Scheelhaase scores on your favorite team this season.
The Illinois Fighting Illini will enter the 2011 College Football season with high aspirations of improving upon their 7-6 campaign in 2010, which will more easily become reality if these 10 dream scenarios come true...
Big Ten Breakdown: Illinois Illini, Part 3 (Schedule and Breakdown)
Both Rivals and Scout ranked Illinois' 2011 class eighth in the Big Ten. That's a long way from the early days of Ron Zook's tenure in Champaign, when he was pulling in nationally ranked classes based on nothing but promise.
Did Mike Locksley take Zook's recruiting thunder with him to New Mexico? Is it just a matter of the reality of Zook's coaching record catching up with him?
I don't have the answers, but keep in mind that Zook compiled his conference-worst record with multiple top-25 classes. Most of the players from those classes are gone. Now, he has to win with coaching.
Nonetheless, there are still some potential impact freshmen in this class.
One of the more intriguing prospects is Jon Davis. Rivals lists him as an athlete, while Scout lists him as the No. 7 tight end in the country. He already has the size to play at the college level, though his technique, particularly as a blocker, reputedly leaves something to be desired.
If he does land on the offense, he could be the No. 2 tight end from the get-go. If he lands on the defense, he could make a splash on the depth chart as a backup bandit.
Punter Justin DuVernois will have the inside track as the starting punter, as collegiate teams don't bring in scholarship kickers to have them sitting on the bench. Needless to say, he'll have a big pair of shoes to fill and will have to learn on the fly.
Finally, Dondi Kirby is a highly recruited safety/wide receiver out of Pennsylvania. His offer list reads like a who's who of college football, and it includes such teams as Ohio State, Michigan, Florida and Southern Cal. So who knows? Maybe the Zooker does still have it.
Kirby could wind up at safety or receiver. Though his upside is probably higher on defense, the Illini's depth in the secondary could determine his fate.
Given Illinois' lack of experience at pass catcher, he could come in and make an immediate name for himself on the two-deep as a wide receiver.
Intangibles
Depth.
The Illini are depending on a number of players with no substantial experience behind them.
This begins with the quarterback. There is Nathan Scheelhaase. Behind him are a lot of unproven, inexperienced players. If it wasn't enough that so much of the offense rests on the shoulders of the third-year sophomore, pretty much all of the backup O-linemen are redshirt freshmen or, at best, sophomores that haven't played a snap yet. Then there are the receivers. A lot of bodies, but outside of A.J. Jenkins, there is no proven depth.
On defense, almost all of the linebackers on the two-deep are redshirt freshmen. The inside of the defensive line doesn't look much better.
Then there is what the Illini present in comparison to last year. In 2010, Illinois went 6-6 in the regular season. That team had a better running back group, better receiving group, slightly better offensive line (though this year's O-line might be better by the end of the season), much better defensive line and linebackers and an all-conference punter.
This year's team has a better (i.e. an improved) quarterback and secondary, but can that make up for all this team lost in terms of quality? Again, last year's team only went 6-6 with a schedule that missed seven-win Iowa and 11-win Wisconsin.
On the bright side, last year's six-win team was exactly eight points away from being 9-3. Can this year's Illini win those close ones?
Schedule
Sept. 3: Arkansas State. Illinois is the heavy favorite.
Sept. 10: South Dakota State (FCS). Heavy favorite.
Sept. 17: Arizona State. Will be a toss-up at game time, but I think Illinois should be a heavy underdog.
Sept. 24: Western Michigan. Illinois is the favorite.
Oct. 1: Northwestern. Slight favorite.
Oct. 8: At Indiana. Favorite.
Oct. 15: Ohio State. Underdog.
Oct. 22: At Purdue. Favorite.
Oct. 29: At Penn State. Underdog.
Nov. 5: Open
Nov. 12: Michigan. Underdog.
Nov. 19: Wisconsin. Underdog.
Nov. 26: At Minnesota. Favorite.
Best-Case Scenario
The Illini blow through the out-of-conference. Three of those wins wouldn't be surprising, but ASU is a dark horse Top-15 team next season, as it returns just about everybody from a team much better than its 6-6 record.
If Illinois wins that game, it will be a statement win.
Heading into the conference slate, the Illini handily beat Northwestern and kick the tar out of Indiana, thereby obtaining bowl eligibility and a 6-0 record (which would assure an appearance in the Top 25).
Between OSU, PSU, Michigan and Wisconsin, they go 2-2. They also beat Purdue and Minnesota.
That puts them at 10-2. It is not good enough to win the Leaders division, nor is it good enough to secure them a BCS bowl, as Illini fans don't have the traveling reputation of schools like Wisconsin or Iowa.
Nevertheless, it is good enough to earn them a bid to the Cap One Bowl and to keep Ron Zook safely in Champaign.
Worst-Case Scenario
Illinois pounds its first two opponents before the Sun Devils come to town and take out the Illini by three scores. A lot of people write this down as an Illini letdown rather than a sign of how good ASU is.
They come back and beat Western Michigan, but they lose a close one to Northwestern. After beating Indiana, they hope to catch a still potentially rusty Ohio State. They don't.
They go on to lose four of their remaining five and finish at 5-7.
No bowl and goodbye Ron Zook.
My Prediction
In early January, before the departures of Corey Liuget, Martez Wilson and Mikel Leshoure, I predicted the Illini would win their division outright. That was even before the Ohio State situation exploded. I would still stand by that prediction if those three had stayed.
There are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Illinois in 2011.
Man for man, with this schedule, the Illini realistically have what it takes to win nine or 10 games. They have a good young quarterback, decent experience on the O-line and a strong, opportunistic secondary. Though there are some substantial holes—receivers, the defensive front seven, punter—their strengths and the softest conference schedule in the Big Ten should help minimize those issues.
The problem is Ron Zook. I just don't think the guy is a good coach. I haven't thought he was a good coach since the 2004 Outback Bowl, when his Gators lost to Iowa. Since then, he's done very little to change my opinion.
For me, the question is are Paul Petrino and Vic Koenning good enough to overcome Zook's deficiencies? On a certain level, they might be, but for me it is a dysfunctional team when the coordinators overshadow the head coach.
I have Illinois going 5-7, with wins over Arkansas State, South Dakota State and Western Michigan out of conference. In conference, I have them beating Northwestern and Indiana.
I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they pull off eight or more wins, but I can't imagine the day will ever come when I would bet on Ron Zook. If he does fulfill my prediction, then I won't have another opportunity to bet on him—at least not while he's at Illinois.
As it stands, this is an eight-win team that I am downgrading due strictly to what I feel is the coach's ineptitude.
Be sure to check out past installments of Big Ten Breakdown, beginning with the most recent, the Purdue Boilermakers.
Big Ten Breakdown: Illinois Illini, Part 2 (Defense and Specialists)
2010 scoring defense: 23.5 PPG (fifth in the conference), total defense: 351.3 YPG (fifth), rushing defense: 3.92 YPC (fifth), passing efficiency allowed: 127.56 (fifth).
Average scoring defense conference ranking over last five years: 7.8.
Best scoring defense conference ranking over last five years: Fifth (2007 and 2010).
Worst scoring defense conference ranking over last five years: 11th (2009).
Returning starters: DT Akeem Spence, BAN Michael Buchanan, LB Ian Thomas, CB Justin Green, CB Terry Hawthorne, DB Tavon Wilson, FS Trulon Henry.
Open positions: DE, DT, LB.
Defensive Breakdown
One key element of Illinois' 2010 football season was staff turnover. The reason for this was because Ron Zook cleaned house after the disastrous 2009 season.
His co-defensive coordinators in 2009 were Dan Disch and Curt Mallory. They were subsequently demoted and Vic Koenning was hired in their place. Mallory has since gone to Akron and is now on the Michigan staff, while Disch left the Illini in February and has become the defensive coordinator at Southern Miss.
By comparison, last season's group had a ton of returning experience as well as a healthy Wilson.
So, how much of a role did Koenning specifically play in turning the Illini defense around? It's difficult to say, but given how much Illinois lost in the front seven this season, we'll know by the end of 2011.
Koenning runs a 4-3 defense, but the four up front consist of a defensive end, two defensive tackles and a bandit. The bandit is a defensive end/linebacker hybrid. He lines up in a two or three-point stance, and while he is more likely to attack the line, ala a traditional lineman, he does have linebacker-like responsibilities.
Koenning wants very busy linebackers, and is moderately aggressive where it concerns blitzing.
Defensive Line
Illinois will have a big, fat void in the middle of their line with the departure of Corey Liuget. Liuget was only the third Illini defensive lineman drafted since 1996, when Simeon Rice was taken third overall. Complicating that loss, Illinois also graduated two-year starter Clay Nurse.
The two returning starters are sophomore Akeem Spence at defensive tackle and junior Michael Buchanan at bandit.
Given that Spence was only a redshirt freshman in 2010, he had a quality season and can expect to improve. At 305 lbs., he could eventually be as good as Liuget, but it will probably take another year or two of development.
Meanwhile, Buchanan was also solid last season and had arguably his strongest game of the year against Baylor in the bowl. With two sacks last season, Buchanan is the top returning pass rusher on the Illini.
The other starting line positions are likely to be filled out by junior Whitney Mercilus at defensive end and senior Craig Wilson at tackle.
Mercilus started two games last season at end, when Buchanan was suspended and Clay Nurse moved to bandit. Mercilus also got a good amount of playing time in the bowl and had an impressive showing.
Meanwhile, Wilson is new to the defensive side of the ball, having been an offensive lineman through the 2010 season. At 320 lbs., he's got the size to plug up the middle. The question is, is Wilson a prodigy or is his move a sign of a lack of any other options?
Right now, the most likely backups at defensive tackle are redshirt freshmen Jake Howe and Austin Teitsma. Also, senior Wisdom Onyegbule might get some playing time if he steps up.
There is established depth at the end and bandit position with junior Glenn Foster as backup end and junior Justin Staples at bandit. Foster has played a valuable backup role throughout his career and Staples started three games last season.
Lastly, sophomore Tim Kynard could push for playing time.
There is potential on this line, especially in Akeem Spence. However, I take it as a bad sign that an offensive tackle switched to defense and moved right into a starting spot.
Martez Wilson is gone. Nate Bussey is gone. Both were drafted with Wilson going early in the third round. You have to go back to Danny Clark in 2000 to find the last Illinois linebacker taken in the NFL draft (though J. Lemen is proof that the draft is not the ultimate judge of collegiate success).
The only experienced linebacker remaining is senior Ian Thomas, who will be a three-year starter.
A host of other players will compete for the other two starting positions. Most notable among the competitors are junior Ashante Williams; sophomores Jonathan Brown and Brandon Denmark; and redshirt freshmen Houston Bates and Earnest Thomas.
Williams is the most experienced of the bunch, though his experience has come in the defensive backfield. He made the move to strong side linebacker following the 2010 season. Currently listed at 205 lbs., he is a bit small for linebacker; especially strong side linebacker where he will be expected to cover the tight end.
Certainly, converted safeties can do very well as linebackers. After all, Ian Thomas is a converted safety. It is just that Williams is small and has only switched positions recently.
Denmark saw spot time last season, while Brown saw a lot of playing time as a true freshman. He had the most tackles of any non-starting linebacker on the team.
Finally, Earnest Thomas is another converted safety while Bates came to Illinois over an offer from LSU. He is not terribly fast and is very big; and projects more as a bandit or even defensive end than straight-up linebacker.
As of now, Brown is a likely starter with Williams also grabbing a spot, though perhaps Denmark or Bates could come in on obvious running downs.
As with the D-line there is potential here, especially with Brown. Moreover, while Thomas is not Martez Wilson, he is a solid foundation for the linebacking corps.
Still, the departure of Wilson and Bussey leave substantial holes.
Big Ten Position Group Ranking: 11
Secondary
For all the holes and depth issues in the Illinois front seven, the secondary is supersaturated, which, perhaps, accounts for two quality safeties moving to linebacker.
Hawthorne has arguably the most upside of any cornerback in the Big Ten, and he is likely to prove it this season if he can stay healthy.
Meanwhile, the other cornerback will likely be manned by senior Tavon Wilson. Wilson started all 13 games last season at strong safety. However, the return of Hawthorne and junior Suppo Sani warrant the move.
As for Sani, he missed all of last season with an injury. He likely would have been the starting strong safety, which is the role he will assume this season.
At free safety, senior Trulon Henry will be the returning starter.
This leaves returning starter Justin Green out of the picture. He is a junior that started all 13 games at cornerback last season. Nonetheless, it is unlikely he will beat out either Hawthorne or Wilson. In effect, Green gives the Illini three quality corners for nickel packages.
On top of those players, sophomore Steve Hull and junior Patrick Nixon-Youman got a lot of playing time last season and would probably start for half of the teams in the Big Ten. However, in Illinois' secondary, they will be spot players.
Big Ten Position Group Ranking: One
Special Teams Specialists
As with the other losses on Illinois, the graduation of All-Big Ten punter Anthony Santella stings. He averaged 44.78 yards-per-punt, which was second in the conference. He will be missed.
Right now, the Illini are likely to start true freshman Justin DuVernois in Santella's place. As a true freshman DuVernois is something of a wild card. He may be great. He may not. Either way, he is likely to shank a few before the year is out.
On the other hand, the kicker position is in solid hands with second team All-Conference kicker Derek Dimke handling place kicking duties. Heading into his senior season, Dimke has a career field goal percentage of 85.3 and has made all 55 of his extra point attempts. Moreover, he led the Big Ten in touchbacks with 22.
Along with Ramsey, Hawthorne will compete for the job.
Overall, Illinois has a very good kicker. Everything else is an unknown.
Big Ten Position Group Ranking: Eight
Be sure to check out past installments of Big Ten Breakdown, beginning with the most recent, the Purdue Boilermakers.
Big Ten Breakdown: Illinois Illini, Part 1 (Overview and Offense)
Jun 20, 2011
Team Overview
When Ron Zook was hired by the Illini in 2005, the consensus thinking was that it would be the best hiring the Illini would ever make or it would be an orange and blue mess.
He has now been in Champaign for six years and his record is 28-45. That ties him for the 89th-winningest program in the country over that stretch.
The only Big Ten teams that have had worse records have been...nobody. Illinois has the worst winning percentage of all Big Ten teams from 2005-10. However, in some fairness, they would be tied with Indiana if the Hoosiers had made one more bowl and then lost it.
So, taken at face value, does that qualify Zook as a success or a mess?
I think the answer to that is obvious, so the bigger question is how does Ron Zook still have his job?
The answer to that is timing and smoke and mirrors. His record speaks for itself, but he has won at just the right times in order to build enough capital in order to keep himself employed.
Specifically, following his first two (excusably) awful seasons, he took his Illini to the Rose Bowl. 9-3 Illinois was chosen to go to the Rose Bowl over a number of more deserving teams strictly because the Rose Bowl wanted to preserve their traditional Big Ten-Pac-10 matchup. However, nothing spells success on the gridirons of the Midwest like a Rose Bowl invite.
Part of the reason they were ranked highly enough to be eligible for the Rose Bowl was a 28-21 upset over the No. 1 team in the nation, Ohio State, in Columbus.
In effect, despite not reaching double-digit wins and getting spanked by USC in the Rose Bowl, 2007 was one of the most successful Illinois seasons ever.
The thing is, it was bookmarked on both sides by two terrible seasons. Between 2005-06, Illinois won four games. Between 2008-09, they won eight games.
So, what is Ron Zook still doing in Champaign?
Last season, it was make or break. If he didn't get his team to a bowl, he was through. Well, at 6-6, he got his team to a bowl—a middling bowl to be sure, but unlike the 2008 Rose Bowl, the Fighting Zookers handily beat Baylor in the Texas Bowl, 38-14.
So, here we are in 2011. A 6-6 record probably won't save Zook's job. Seven wins, maybe, and eight wins should do it.
With a soft schedule and a promising young quarterback Zook might be able to get there. Then again, it is Ron Zook.
Offensive Overview
2010 scoring offense: 32.5 PPG (fourth in the conference), total offense: 397.1 YPG (fourth), rushing YPC: 5.17 (fourth), passing efficiency: 128.63 (eighth).
Average scoring offense conference ranking over last five years: 6.4.
Best scoring offense conference ranking over last five years: Third (2008).
Worst scoring offense conference ranking over last five years: 10th (2006).
Returning Starters: QB Nathan Scheelhaase, RB Jason Ford, FB Jay Prosch, WR A.J. Jenkins, TE Evan Wilson, OL Hugh Thornton, OL Jack Cornell, C Graham Pocic, OT Jeff Allen.
Open Positions: WR, OL.
Offensive Breakdown
Many have attributed whatever success Zook has had at both Florida and Illinois to two things: strong recruiting and hiring the right coordinators.
Together they installed a no-huddle spread option. With Locksley, the Illini never averaged more than 30 points per game. Though they were ranked as highly as third in conference scoring offense, part of that was due to a weak scoring conference.
Their most efficient offense was in 2007, when they were ranked seventh but scored 27.8 PPG (less than one PPG less than they managed in 2008).
With Petrino calling the plays, Zook's Illini topped the 30 PPG mark for the first time.
Petrino ideally runs a pro-style system.
His attack begins and ends with a strong running game that features both the running back and a dual-threat quarterback.
Last year, as quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was still a redshirt freshman and the Illini had one of, if not the best running back in the conference in Mikel Leshoure, the burden of the O was on the running back's shoulders.
Nathan Scheelhaase was one of the more pleasant surprises in the Big Ten last season.
Illinois went into the year replacing their inconsistent starter for the previous four years, Juice Williams. Scheelhaase, a redshirt freshman, surprised a lot of people by winning the job.
He struggled early on with a 110.24 passing efficiency in his first six games (93.84 against FBS teams). However, he turned it around in his last seven games, boasting a rating of 151.51 with 13 touchdowns to one interception.
On top of that, he was the Illinis' second leading rusher on the season, carrying the ball 184 times for 854 yards. Of course, against Missouri, Ohio State and Michigan State, he only manged 99 yards for 2.91 YPC.
There is no getting around the fact that the tougher part of the Illini schedule was the first half of the season, and guessing how he would have done later in the season against the likes of Missouri, Ohio State and Michigan State would be conjecture. Still, 151.51 is nothing to sneeze at, and if Scheelhasse can maintain that type of productivity even against lesser teams, the Illinois offense will be a force to be reckoned with.
The problem is Illinois has only one receiver with experience, the O-line should be decent but will take a step back—albeit a small step back—from where they were at the end of last season, and Mikel Leshoure has moved on.
In effect, the entire offense will be on Scheelhaase's shoulders. Can he—still only a redshirt sophomore—handle it?
As for depth, there is none. If Scheelhaase goes down, inexperienced sophomore Miles Osei or a true freshman would probably step in, and the Illini offense would effectively be null and void.
In short, last season Scheelhaase showed himself to be a very good quarterback with a lot of talent. But can he carry the team?
Big Ten Position Group Ranking: 4
Running Backs
Mikel Leshoure is gone and his 1,902 yards from scrimmage in 2010 are gone with him.
The Illini have players—experienced players—to fill his position, but those players are an undeniable step down.
The first player and probable starter is Jason Ford. Ford is a senior that has rushed for 1,362 yards and 19 touchdowns thus far in his career. He is not going to outrun that many teams, but at 6'0", 235 lbs., he will bowl some defensive backs over.
Again, he is solid, but last year, running in the same offense as Leshoure, behind the same offensive line, against defenses that Leshoure softened up, he averaged more than one full yard less per carry than Leshoure. This was despite the fact that heading into 2010, Ford had more career carries than did Leshoure, and thus, more experience.
Behind Ford is senior Troy Pollard. Pollard is the lightning to Ford's thunder. He is listed as under 200 lbs. and relies on speed rather than bulk.
He has picked up 64 carries and 361 yards in four seasons (he took a medical redshirt after playing in three games during his true freshman year).
Finally, Bud Golden is a redshirt sophomore and is the most balanced of the three backs. Last year, he grabbed eight carries in garbage time.
With three solid, fairly experienced (for non-returning starters) options, there should be plenty of depth at the running back position. Moreover, I don't mean to imply that Ford, Pollard and Golden aren't skilled players.
However, they have given no indications that they are anywhere near Leshoure's talent level.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jay Prosch should maintain his position as the fullback. He is a spark plug and weight-room monster. He only touched the ball once last year (one reception for one yard), but he was no small element of Mikel Leshoure's 2010 success story.
Behind him are a number of players though the most probable backup is senior Zach Becker.
In the end, this is a decent position group with minimal surprises. What you see and expect from the Illini running backs is probably what you're going to get in 2011.
Illinois returns three of its top five 2010 pass catchers and seven of its top 10, but that is a somewhat misleading figure.
First of all, they lose two of their top three, one of whom was Mikel Leshoure, which should give an indication of just how much this offense leaned on him.
Secondly, Illinois had the second fewest passing attempts in the conference and were 112 nationally.
In effect, their fifth leading pass catcher, sophomore wide receiver Ryan Lankford, only had six catches.
The top guy going into 2011 will be senior A.J. Jenkins. Last season was his first as a starter and he made the most of it, leading the team with 56 catches for 746 yards and seven touchdowns.
That accounted for 33.93 percent of Illinois' total receptions. No other Big Ten team came close to concentrating that much attention on one receiver (Michigan was the closest with one receiver accounting for 29 percent of the catches).
As he is the lone receiver with substantial experience, the Illini will need to find another viable threat or else Jenkins will find himself blanketed all game.
After Jenkins there are a ton of bodies, but only one with more than 20 career catches.
The players that will be vying for playing time are senior Fred Sykes; sophomores Ryan Lankford, Darrius Millines, and Spencer Harris; redshirt freshman Anthony Williams; and Clemson transfer Brandon Clear.
Heading into spring ball, Millines was the second starter, but he sat out much of the end of practices with a minor injury. In effect, Lankford stepped up and was the offensive star of the spring game, catching five passes for 64 yards. The coaches also named Lankford the most improved offensive player of the spring.
In 2010, Lankford caught six passes for 129 yards, while Millines snagged two grabs for 42 yards. While most of their catches were in garbage time, it is notable that each player made one big reception in the bowl game, Lankford's for 52 yards and Millines for 32.
Spencer Harris is a true sophomore that played in eight games last year, starting one. At 6'3", he is a big body. Last year, he had four receptions for 48 yards.
Both Williams and Clear are also big bodies at 6'4" and 6'5" respectively. Clear came from Clemson and can play right away, as he has already earned his bachelor's degree. However, as with the other Illinois wide receivers, he hasn't made many waves thus far in his career, as he only has six catches for 137 yards.
The tight end will be sophomore Evan Wilson, who started 11 games last season, though he only caught ten passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson's involvement in the offense should increase with experience, as Petrino likes to use his tight ends.
In 2008, as the Arkansas offensive coordinator, his top tight end, D.J. Williams, caught 61 passes. In 2009, Williams grabbed 32 receptions. In 2006, as the Louisville offensive coordinator, his top tight end, Gary Barnidge, caught 31 passes.
The players behind Wilson, like the receivers, are mostly inexperienced. The most notable players are sophomore Justin Lattimore and junior Eddie Viliunas. Also, there might be room for true freshmen.
In short, the Illini pass catchers consist of A.J. Jenkins and a lot of players with little experience.
Big Ten Position Group Ranking: 11
Offensive Line
Illinois finished last season with one of the stronger rushing games—and by extension, one of the stronger offensive lines—in the conference.
The offensive line returns four of the six players that played significant snaps last season.
After the spring game, the most likely starting lineup is: senior Jeff Allen, junior Hugh Thornton, junior Graham Pocic, senior Jack Cornell and junior Corey Lewis. As Illinois does not lineup in the traditional left-to-right, but instead strong side and weak side, it is impossible to say which side the players will lineup on.
The only one of that group that did not see considerable minutes last season was Corey Lewis. Lewis began 2010 competing for a starting job, but tore his ACL during spring practice. He re-injured the same leg before spring practice this season. If he can make a full recovery, he will push hard for a starting position.
Last season, Allen was second team all-conference and he will compete for first team All-Conference this season. He is the best of the bunch and will likely hear his name called in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Thornton is a two-year starter, while Pocic and Cornell have one year's worth of starts under their collective belts.
As last season's offensive line only lost one game to injury, there is almost no depth here. Behind the starters are a splattering of redshirt freshmen and sophomores with little to no game time experience.
One statistic of note is that Illinois let up the second most sacks in the conference last season. This is particularly damning when the Illini also had the second fewest passing attempts in the conference.
Part of the problem was a new quarterback. That will not be a problem this season. Nevertheless, this is something that will have to be cleaned up.
Overall, this line has potential to be dominant, though the complete lack of depth could hurt them. If one of the starters gets injured, there is the potential for a collapse.
Big Ten Position Group Ranking: 6
Be sure to check out past installments of Big Ten Breakdown, beginning with the most recent, the Purdue Boilermakers.
In 2010, the Illinois Fighting Illini went 7-6. Now in 2011, the Fighting Illini will look to improve on that mark. The bulk of the teams played will be the usual suspects from the Big Ten, while the others will be out of conference teams...
After a pretty disappointing 2010 college football season the Illinois Fighting Illini are coming back with a solid team ready to make some noise in the Big 10...
