Illinois Fighting Illni

Head Coach

Ron Zook	4th year
07-08	9-4
Big Ten	6-2
FCR	33

Previous Season Wins

Head Coach - In his third season at the helm Ron Zook put the pieces in place and they came together and the Illini put together a special season that included a win against Ohio St and a Rose Bowl appearance. They lost some great players but the recruiting has been outstanding and there’s lots of young talented players on the roster. It will be difficult to match last seasons 9 wins but in Juice Williams they have a player who can carry a team to victory by himself.

Quarterback - Juice Williams made big gains from his freshman season and the results were significant, especially in the win column. He’s is a dual-threat quarterback who is the teams leading returning rusher, he gained 755 yards on the ground and passed for 1,743 yards with a total of 20 TD’s. Look for Illinois to be a bit more balanced in their attack this season, William’s made big strides in his completion percentage from year one to year two and if continues to improve his interceptions will go down, the Illini have receivers with the potential to stretch the field through the air.

Running Backs - You don’t lose a Rashard Mendenhall gracefully, looking to step in at running back will be junior Daniel Dufrene who gained 294 yards in spot duty last season. Dufrene won’t be a workhorse but has the speed to get outside quickly, redshirt freshman Troy Pollard and freshman Mikel LeShoure will be in the mix as well.

Receivers - On the outside the Big 10 Freshman of the Year Arrelious Benn will lead the Illini receiving corps, he had 54 receptions for 676 yards and he got size, speed and excels after the catch in the open field. Also returning on the outside is senior Kyle Hudson and at tight end junior Michael Hoomanawanui who is a devastating blocker and will see his numbers go up as the Illini will look to spread the ball around more this season. Junior Jeff Cumberland is a big bodied former strong safety with the speed to get by most defenders.

Offensive Line - Super unit led by two seniors who’ll be playing in the NFL next season, at left tackle Xavier Fulton and at center Ryan McDonald. Also returning is Jon Asamoah at right guard while sophomores Ryan Palmer and Randall Hunt will fill the holes at left guard and right tackle, respectively. Zook has recruited well and the newcomers will adjust quickly, Williams takes a lot of the pressure off but they dominate most D-Lines and whoever is carrying the ball will benefit.

Defensive Line - The strength of the defense is upfront, especially on the outside at th defensive end spots with seniors Derek Walker and Will Davis and junior Doug Pilcher. Davis explodes upfield and had 9 ½ sacks last season and is a lock All-Big 10 selection. On the inside will be seniors David Lindquist and Sirod Williams, Lindquist had 4 ½ sacks and 46 tackles and they should be solid against the run. Redshirt freshman D’Angelo McCray was a big time recruit and if healthy will contribute, he’s a big bodied inside player with explosive talent.

Linebackers - Senior Brit Miller is the only returnee at linebacker and he’ll be taking over in the middle, he had 62 tackles last season but the man he’s replacing, J Leman had 132. On the weakside will be senior Rodney Pittman and sophomore Martez Wilson will man the strongside. Pittman has the experience and possesses good speed while Wilson had 29 tackles and two sacks and with his size will be solid against the run.

Defensive Backs - The secondary will be solid at cornerback where junior starters Dere Hicks and Vontae Davis both return. Hicks’ has 4.4 speed and Davis is the leading returning tackler with 76 and also had 4 interceptions, he was 1st team All-Big 10 last year and the next team he plays for will be in the NFL. Penciled in at free safety is sophomore Nate Bussey and at strong safety junior Travon Bellamy, but look for incoming JUCO Donsay Hardeman to quickly find his way into the starting rotation.

Special Teams - Lots of questions here, at placekicker sophomore Matt Brandabur and junior Michael Cklamovski will battle through the fall and at punter sophomore Anthony Santella needs to improve on last years 37.7 yard average. The returns have next level talent in Arrelious Benn and Donsay Hardeman.

Schedule - Three cupcakes in the non-conference slate but the season opening match up against Missouri should be fun. No brakes in conference as they must travel to Penn St, Michigan and Wisconsin and the Buckeyes will be looking for revenge in Week 11. Lots of young talent but there are holes to fill, look for Williams to beat a Top-20 team by himself. The schedule is a little too much, but watch out come 09’, the Illini will slip slightly and end the year with 7+ wins.