54 days to Camp Rantoul
No. 24: Ian Thomas, linebacker.
Why he's important: When Mike Locksley landed Thomas, he thought the Washington D.C. product was the steal of the 2007 class. Thomas didn't progress maybe as quickly as the coaches had hoped, redshirting as a freshman. But an older, wiser Thomas returns after seeing limited time in 2008. There is plenty of motivation for the former DeMatha star, who has a chance to fill an opening in the starting lineup. He has added weight and strength since joining the Illini.
Getting personal: At one point, he looked like he might be the next heavyweight champion of the world. As a youth, Thomas was a talented boxer who earned a national ranking in his weight class. His boxing training serves him well on defense, adding to his aggressiveness and counter-attacking abilities.Picked Illinois over Maryland and Connecticut.
To see No. 25, click here.
To see No. 26, click here.
To see No. 27, click here.
To see No. 28, click here.
To see No. 29, click here.
To see No. 30, click here.
To see No. 31, click here.
To see No. 32, click here.
To see No. 33, click here.
To see No. 34, click here.
To see No. 35, click here.
To see No. 36, click here.
To see No. 37, click here.
To see No. 38, click here.
To see No. 39, click here.
To see No. 40, click here.
To see No. 41, click here.
To see No. 42, click here.
To see No. 43, click here.
To see No. 44, click here.
To see No. 45, click here
Comments
IlliniHQ.com embraces discussion of Illini sports. We welcome you to contribute your ideas, opinions and comments, but we ask that you avoid personal attacks, vulgarity and hate speech. we reserve the right to remove any comment at its discretion, and we will block repeat offenders' accounts. To post comments, you must first be a registered user, and your username will appear with any comment you post. Happy posting.