40 days to Camp Rantoul

No. 10: Eric Block, offensive lineman.

Why he's important: A starting left guard in 2008, he gained an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA because of missed time in 2006. Instead of scrambling to find a replacement for four-year starter Ryan McDonald, Block will slide over to a position that is probably his best. Gives Illinois potentially three returning starters on the line along with Jon Asamoah (right guard) and Jeff Allen (right tackle). Allen is in a three-way battle for two tackle spots. While he doesn't have the perfect size for a lineman, knowledgable observers point that Block is almost always where he is supposed to be, doing the right thing. His experience is huge on a line that expects to see improvement in Joe Gilbert's first year at the school.

Getting personal: Friendly New Orleans native got a dose of press early in his career when he repeatedly told the story of his family during Hurricane Katrina. A member of Ron Zook's first recruiting class, he played in three games his freshman season. Picked Illinois over offers from Army, Navy, Central Michigan, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe. Rated a two-star recruit as a high school senior, he has far surpassed college expectations. Showed his resilence by surviving at Illinois while most others failed. Of the players in his recruiting class, 12 didn't complete their college eligibility at Illinois.

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