No. 22: Miami Thomas, defensive back.

Why he's important: Cornerback looked to be the heir apparent to Vontae Davis before suffering a knee injury two games into the 2008 season. His career got off to a great start in 2007 when he made 17 tackles in 12 games. Played a huge role in upset win against Ohio State, intercepting a pass and setting up another interception. With Davis sidelined the following week because of a concussion, Thomas moved into the starting lineup against Northwester, a Rose Bowl-clinching win for the Illini. While nobody expects Thomas to play like Davis, he can make the coaches feel a whole lot better if he is able to continue his career path.

Getting personal: Future coach was a News-Gazette All-Stater as a senior at Chicago Morgan Park. Picked the Illini over Wisconsin, Purdue, Boston College and others. The trickiest part of his career from a media standpoint is figuring out what to call him. He has been both Marcus (his given name) and Miami (his nickname) during his Illinois career. He has settled on Miami.

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