Sandy,

I just did a quick glance of NFL rosters and it looks like Southern Cal leads with 40-plus. Ohio State is close. So are Texas and Florida.
College coaches will always tell you that having players in the NFL helps sell the program to recruits. So, the more Illini in the NFL, the better it is for Ron Zook.

Allison,

The important part of breaking any story is the point of origin of the information. While we certainly are the hometown paper relative to the University of Illinois, we don't do much in the way of coverage of New Mexico. That's not to make an excuse, but somebody at New Mexico leaked the information. You'll also note that ESPN.com beat the Albuquerque paper to the story too.
Like it or not, coaches and universities gravitate toward the national carriers and tend to take the local newspapers for granted. It's not a good situation, but it's reality. I have tried to get information from Mike Locksley about his coaching future. But he certainly didn't want to do anything that would cause him to lose the potential job.
Hopefully, The News-Gazette will be the first to report Mike Locksley's replacement at Illinois.

Ryan,

I think the greatest impact will be in the D.C. area. Other than that, I think Illinois will keep the commitments. While Nathan Scheelhaase was excited about playing for Mike Locksley, the primary recruiter is Reggie Mitchell. And he picked the school, not the offensive coordinator.
I talked to East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett on Monday and he said all of his guys are still coming to Illinois.
This is not a big year in D.C. for players.

John,

While Don Beebe has done a great job as a high school coach and is a former NFL player, it sounds like a big jump to be an offensive coordinator in the Big Ten. Still, I wouldn't rule out anybody.

I believe the Illinois offense will remain similar to what Mike Locksley ran. That doesn't mean there won't be some tweaking. And I think Ron Zook likes to be able to run. It helps the defense if the offense can control the ball.
I don't think the Zook program is any different discipline-wise than past Illinois programs or programs at other schools. If you have 100 guys on a team, some of them are going to make off the field mistakes. This year, it seemed to be higher-level players and the timing wasn't good. But the timing is never good. I don't think there is rampant lawlessness with the Illinois program. And I do think Zook deals harshly with players who misbehave off the field when he feels it is warranted.

Tony,

That's the big question. D.C. has become an important recruiting area for Illinois. Dunbar coach Craig Jefferies offered a simple solution: hire him. And that would work. There are other coaches with ties to the area who could be hired. But the priority for Ron Zook in replacing Mike Locksley is to get the best fit for the offense. The school can concentrate its recruiting in other areas if D.C. becomes difficult. Plus, the kids on the team from D.C. will help Illinois recruit the area.

Trent,

The book is available at area bookstores and on book websites like amazon.com. I've seen it at Pages For All Ages.

I'm not sure if practice will be open. It's been closed five years in Illinois history and all five seasons were losing ones. It's a coincidence, of course, but one that maybe should be considered.

Illini1973,

Nothing yet has been announced. That doesn't mean the decision hasn't been made. I believe Vontae will leave if he feels he will go in the first round. But he could surprise me and decide to come back.
I don't think his decision either way will have a major impact on recruiting. There is room for more than one cornerback. With as much spread offense as the Illini played again, you can't have too many good cornerbacks.

Grady,

You're going to find this boring, but I really think the best option for Illinois will be to promote one of the current guys on the staff, most likely Kurt Beathard or Jim Pry. They know the personnel and have been coordinators in the past. Illinois can then bring in another assistant coach to help with the offense. That person could have a major impact on recruiting. I think this is where Ron Zook should think outside the box. Maybe hire a high school coach (Craig Jefferies or Darren Sunkett) or one of his former players (Chris Leak).

Dave C.,

Mike Locksley always said he didn't care about being in the BCS. But he wanted to be at a place where his school is competitive with the rest of the league. New Mexico fits that criteria. The facilities are good, there is recent success at the school and the athletic director seems to support football. Paul Krebs came from Ohio State, so you know the sport is important to him.
If Mike Locksley can win at New Mexico, he will be an easy hire for a super power in three or four years.

Jay,

I think the odds of Illinois hiring a quarterback coach are very high. And don't be surprised if it's a younger guy, who will be able to easily relate to Juice Williams, Eddie McGee, Jacob Charest and Nathan Scheelhaase.

Marcus,

I hope Ron Zook considers Craig Jefferies. First, the Dunbar coach is a great guy. And he obviously knows football. I think he would continue the D.C.-Illinois connection.
He is serious about considering the job.

Johnny,
Scott Weaver, Robby Long and Dustin Ward are the first few that come to mind in college. And there are a bunch at the high school level, including John Holecek. I could see him becoming a college coach at some point.

Gregg,

On the defensive side, I have asked Ron Zook and nothing has been decided. He pointed out the coaches who were with the team in 2008 are the same ones who helped the team get to the Rose Bowl in 2007. That sounds like he doesn't want to make changes just to make changes.
The disruption on the offensive side could mean more stability on defense.
For the Locksley replacement, you present a good plan and I think Chris Leak would be just the kind of person who could mentor a young quarterback. He has that national title on his resume.