Mario,

Great questions. I checked back into our story archives to refresh my memory about Brian's past issues. He was suspended by Ron Zook both during the regular season and during the spring. In both cases, he did what he was supposed do to get back on the field.
From what I understand and from what I know by talking to him, Brian is not a bad kid. His issue is apparently an inability to complete whatever tasks (school, social, etc.) assigned to him by Ron Zook. The rules are simple and unbending. Zook feels that he can't count on a player to complete his off-the-field responsibilities, then he can't count on the player on the field either. Trust is a big part of college football. The quarterback has to know the receiver will go 13 yards down the field. Not 11 or 15, but 13.
Brian is a talented player and I think the coaches are giving him every opportunity to get back on the field. But at some point, they will cut him loose.
Here is an excerpt from my spring story related to Brian:
"While Jerry Brown returned, receiver BRIAN GAMBLE is back on the sideline.
Gamble wasn

Andy,
Jacob is in camp and I watched him throw for a few minutes Monday. Not that I know anything about quarterbacks other than Brett Favre is good, but his passes looked fast and on target.
He had gotten rave reviews from the other quarterbacks for his summer work. Though he is far from home, it sounds like he fit right in. That's a good sign for a quarterback.

Nathan,

I was at the Rose Bowl watching the game intently and didn't realize that Kyle Knezetic got hurt early. Tad Keely came in and didn't have any issues. He will be the starter and the coaches are very happy with his work.
Speaking of long snappers, I hope that Ken Johnson keeps the Memorial Stadium tradition going of naming them after each success field goal and extra point. It's the only time they get recognized, unless they pitch the ball 10 yards over the punter's head.

I think the idea of coming down for a practice sounds great. Of course, I'll be there anyway. If you do decide to try it, email me at asmussen@news-gazette.com the day before so I can make sure the schedule hasn't changed. I would hate for you to make the long drive and not get to see any practice.

Call in to the radio show any time.

Rob,

Good to hear from you.
Mr. Benn, as I call him (seriously), is 100 percent. You can tell that he's eager to get into full pads and start smacking people.
Besides his obvious running and catching skills, the thing the pros are going to love about him is how much he cares about blocking. Watch him on running plays this fall. He'll lay out guys who are much bigger than him. I think he gets a kick out of it.

Wade,

1. That's easy: The enormity of the guys. It looks like a Big Ten football team. I remember several years ago early in the Ron Turner era when the Illinois players would be dwarfed by Michigan State and Wisconsin. Not just Michigan and Ohio State. I don't think that's the case any more. Illinois is recruiting bigger athletes and Lou Hernandez is turning them into monsters (nice monsters, of course).
2. It's really hard to tell with linemen until the pads go on. He looks good. Big and strong. His spring work gives him a shot and I think he has a chance to get on the field this year. Maybe not as a starter, but in relief. Looking ahead, he will be a three-year starter, so the coaches want to get him some early time to help him prepare.

Dave,

The coaches aren't worried one bit. They aren't pushing for commitments yet and feel very good about the players they have on board already and the ones they are after.
This won't be a 30-player class, more likely in the low 20s. They are being picky. And they are wanting to get the right kind of guys into the program.
I think it will be another Top 20 class and that there will be some big names that pick Illinois late. Especially if the team follows up 2007 with another good season.

Kyle,
It's pretty much football, food, meetings and sleep.
They get up in the morning and have breakfast (healthy stuff). There are meetings, then lunch. They get a bit of down time in the early afternoon before practice. That's for napping or playing video games. Nobody leaves the camp area.
After practice, they lift weights and jump into the cool tubs before going to dinner. At night, there are more meetings and then sleep.
You'll see the guys before they go to bed out in the courtyard area talking on the phone. But they get very little down time.

Scott,

I think Jacob is doing well. I'm sure the summer workouts helped with that. Of course, it's different than in high school, but he's a talented player. It will be good to see him in a scrimmage situation.

Mikey T.,
1. Daniel looked good in Monday's practice. He isn't a huge guy, but he looks like a Big Ten running back to me. I liked how well he seemed to handle the questions during Sunday's media day. He clearly understands the expectations.
2. Like with all new guys, there is always a concern that he won't be able to get ready in time. But there's three full weeks of Camp Rantoul, plus he was here for a big chunk of the summer. I think the Illinois coaches feel pretty good about safety. They are happy with Travon Bellamy, Nate Bussey and Bo Flowers, who has really kicked it into gear.

Jimmy,
I think you might be right. Their attitude is always good, but I think they are much more confident this summer than last summer.
The guys really like each other. Some of them worked together at Florida, which helps that feeling. And the guys who weren't at Florida (Reggie Mitchell, Tom Sims, Jim Pry, Curt Mallory, Eric Wolford, Kurt Beathard) are all good guys who could get along with anybody. It's a good mix of personalities. They all can laugh at themselves and seem genuinely happy to be in C-U. I know that hasn't always been the case.
From a personal standpoint, it's a great group of coaches to work with. They are pleasant and helpful. And they don't even get too angry when we list their salaries in the newspaper (Mike Locksley's number has gone national).

Jim P.,
The scholarship numbers are in the low 80s and there are just over 100 in camp, meaning about 20-plus walk-ons.
Technically, Anthony Santella is still a walk-on, though I hope that will change soon. He is definitely going to contribute. And I think long snapper Tad Keely is a walk-on. So there's too.
Once you get on the field, the coaches don't really care if you are a walk-on or the most highly touted recruit ever. I can honestly say the players are all treated the same.

Dave,

I heard that rumor and asked about it. I never had anyone tell me "Yes, he is at Parkland."
I think the number of talented receivers on campus now would make it tough for a guy who hadn't played in a year to make an impact. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just unlikely.