Jonathan,

I talked to Justin Green last night. The fact that he picked up his phone when he saw a call from Illinois tells me that he is probably on his way.
We won't know officially until his 10 a.m. announcement. But all signs are pointing to Illinois.
It's a huge addition to the Illinois class. From talking to folks in Kentucky, Justin wants to play running back and wasn't getting a good feeling about that idea from Ohio State. The Illinois coaches want him on their team. If he wants to play running back, they will certainly let him give it a go.
He is one of the fastest players in the country. His dad is a coach. His brother played at Ohio State.

Scott,
If Justin Green does sign with Illinois, as expected, you'd have to put him right with Hawthorne at the top of the class.

Tony,
The class is anywhere from the high 20s to the high 30s, depending on which recruiting service you listen to. The late addition of Justin Green bumps the Illini a few notches, but if Kraig Appleton doesn't sign, that will knock the class down a bit.
The class is going to be rated just below the last three Zook classes, but remember that there are fewer guys on this list. And that is a part of the recruiting service rankings that gets overlooked. It's a volume business, so a 25-player class gets ranked higher than a 20-player class.

Kyle,

What I've been hearing is that Kraig will sign with Wisconsin. We won't know if it's true until later this morning. East St. Louis has a signing day program at the school.
As complicated as his recruitment has become, I won't believe anything until I see the paper being signed.

Alan,

Justin Green's decision would have to be classified as a surprise. Not to the Illinois coaches. But to the rest of the recruiting world.
He is a Top 100 kid who was headed to a national power. Then, within the last couple of days, he has apparently changed his mind.

Bob,

Defensive back will always be an option for Justin. But I think the coaches have promised to give him a legitimate look at running back. Given his speed and talent, he looks like a guy who could be a superstar tailback. The only question is his size, but you have to figure he'll bulk up after arriving on campus.
With his dad being a longtime high school coach, Justin didn't rush into his college decision. It's a positive sign for Illinois that Justin endorsed the school by signing.

Tom,
From a PR standpoint and a class ranking standpoint, it would be very big.
But the reality of recruiting is that we won't know how it plays out until at least the 2009 season. If Justin Green comes in and helps Illinois win a couple of games, you'd have to look back at the late switch as a turning point.
Michael Buchanan, a News-Gazette All-Stater, can be a difference maker in college. Maybe very early in his career.

Larry,

From what I've heard, Dennis is going a different direction. But you never say never on signing day.
Given that Justin Green is likely on the way and that Bud Golden has already signed, it's hard to imagine another top running back joining the class. But you never know. He has a morning press conference and we will keep you posted.

Kyle,

I'm looking forward to finding out what really happened. I will give Kraig a call soon and see if he will tell me the entire story.
When he was here for the state title game, he sure sounded like he was on his way to Illinois. Something happened between late November and now to change his mind.
An important reminder: Wisconsin is off the Illinois schedule for the next two years. The teams will next play Nov. 26, 2011 in Champaign.

Steve,

It's a really difficult issue for coaches and schools. Of course, the coaches try to get the best and the brightest. That's the first priority.
But not every player is the same academically. Some maybe haven't had the advantages of others in terms of the quality of the education or the support. And there endless examples of athletes who struggled academically early in their careers who turned it around and became outstanding students. The Illinois coaches don't want to overlook those players.
The key, to me, is communication between the two parties and a willingness to look at each player's case. You will have to trust the coaches and the admissions folks want what is best for the school. And helping the football program is part of what is best for the school.

Kyle,
We just talked to Justin's father, Jelly, who is an assistant coach at Male. We will have a story on HQ shortly and will talk to Justin later this morning.

Carl,

I'm not sure that will happen. But given the recent additions of Buchanan and Green, you never say never.
With Appleton gone, it sure opens up the receiver position for another recruit.

Stashu,

I don't think it will change much. If you look at the quarterbacks beyond Juice: Eddie McGee, Jacob Charest and Nathan Scheelhaase, they are all dual threat quarterbacks. I know people don't think that about Jacob, but he can really run.
Mike Schultz wants to be balanced. And part of that balance can come from a running quarterback. I don't think you will see a classic dropback quarterback at Illinois during the Zook era.

Angela,
Chicago papers don't hate Illinois. They just don't cover Illinois. Illinois is very low on the priority list for the Chicago papers, behind all the pro teams and Notre Dame.
Sometimes, you write the information you are given. The Illinois coaches can't talk about recruits until after they've signed, so those stories can't really be balanced.

Jordan,

Terry's signing day ceremony is going on right now in East St. Louis. I think he is signing with Illinois and I'm guessing the school will hear from him soon.

Greg,

I wouldn't want to point at one school when it comes to negative recruiting. I think it happens at a lot of places. I plan to write a story later in the winter about negative recruiting with some specific examples this year that didn't involve Notre Dame.
I don't think Illinois was hurt by anything done by Notre Dame.

Mike,

They aren't worried because the press conference is at 9 and they won't get the letter until after that.

Kyle,
That's a great sign for Donsay. That would tell me that he is on the road to recovery and has a good chance to be back on the field. He will be a significant contributor if he is able to make a healthy return.

Steve,

I don't think so. Illinois will use junior colleges to fill specific needs, but won't ever bring in more than a couple of guys.
You only get two years from junior college transfers and if you can't get them in during the spring, it really is a setback. If you can get a high school senior ready to play early, you can get three to four quality years. The way to sustain a successful program is by doing the bulk of your recruiting in high schools and getting a player or two each year from junior colleges. That's the tactic Ron Zook is using.

Mike,

I highly doubt it. We will know soon enough.