Tom,

I haven't seen the No. 5 jerseys in the stores yet, but that makes a lot of sense. Of course, the school will tell you (actually, it has to tell you) that the No. 5 doesn't represent a particular player. We all know that isn't the case.
Obviously, the school is going to pick the number of a player who is expected to make a major impact. Last year, it was 7 and 9.
I think Leshoure will be the go-to guy on offense and will be able to take a lot of the pressure off of the Nathan Scheelhaase.
Wonder what other number are being sold? No. 2 would make a lot of sense.

Chris,

I think those are all good ideas. One really smart thing Illinois has done is the $77 horseshoe season ticket. I think it's brilliant because it adds 13,000 to the season ticket base. The peeople in those seats pay to park, buy souvenirs and spend money at the concessions stands. In fact, I'll bet they spend more because the tickets were so inexpensive.
To me, there is no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to promotions. And giveaways are a great idea. Bottom line if you want to fill your stadium is to win, but every little bit helps.

Tim,

I think you should be cautiously optimistic. Maybe more than that. How tough is Paul Petrino? He spent the last couple of weeks of spring ball working with a torn ACL that he suffered in practice. Didn't miss a beat and didn't complain. I think his players will be motivated by both his actions and his knowledge.
I wonder what would have happened to Juice Williams with Petrino and Brohm as his coaches. Might have been a much different outcome.

Name,

Over five interceptions. The unit will be more aggressive and there is skill in the secondary. How about this: Terry Hawthorne picks off five by himself. And the team gets into the teens.
Look out if Trulon Henry picks off a pass.

Frankie,

One of Ron Zook's biggest beefs with the current recruiting rules is that the coaches don't get to spend enough time with the kids, which cuts into their ability to evaluate character.
You can pick out a guy who might be a problem, but it isn't foolproof. Given his family background, I would said Derrick McPherson would be the last guy who would get into trouble. And Walt Aikens would be right behind him on that list. But you can't predict what a guy is going to do when he gets far away from home. Or what kind of influences will take him down a bad path.
I don't think Ron Zook has had any more trouble with character issues than other schools in the Big Ten. But it's probably worth a more detailed look. That just went on our to-do list.

Hunter,

A couple of things: at this point, the five-star guys aren't going to commit to Illinois until the team shows it can win on the field and until they know the staff is secure. That's the reality of it for Illinois right now.
We don't know how the recruits are being evaluated by Illinois, but I promise the coaches consider their early commits much higher than two-three star guys. And they've got some history on their side, with Vontae Davis and Jon Asamoah far outperforming their stars.
If Illinois wins this season, there will be a Martez Wilson-type recruit or two who commits late.

Chris,

Both guys have solid reputations as recruiters. Actually, better than that. And they have worked in different parts of the country. So, I think you will see more recruiting by Illinois in Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas because of the staff changes.
Their biggest impact in recruiting will come if they are able to help fix the product on the field. All the talking in the world doesn't do you any good if you go 3-9.

Steve,

Other than the guys who were in here early, I haven't seen the incoming freshman. I'm hoping to get out to a workout in the next week or so and will try to report back.

Doug,

Sorry about the playoff loss.
I think what the coaches have done is set themselves up with a number of different options. Reilly won't be here until 2011 and would seem to be a good candidate to redshirt. If Nathan Scheelhaase remains the starter, that would give Reilly two years after he is gone.
But I think all of the guys are in place. Chandler Whitmer is going to be the No. 2 quarterback and will continue to get better. Miles Osei has great physical skills and will be helped by the coaching at Illinois.
If Nathan Scheelhaase plays the way I think he will, he's a four-year starter. But the other guys will have a chance to prove me wrong.

Tim,

I think if they raced 100 yards (OK, meters), Lankford beats Green in a close race. Right now. Lankford will be asked to gain some weight here and that might cut into his 100 time a bit. Or maybe it will make him faster.
Those two, A.J. Jenkins, Terry Hawthorne and Jarred Fayson are among the fastest on the team. I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody.
Miles Osei is a dual-threat guy. He can throw and run equally well. He was a two-time News-Gazette All-Stater and that doesn't happen very often. I think they will keep him at quarterback.
Top 10 pro prospects, in no particular order: Leshoure, Martez Wilson, Terry Hawthorne, Clay Nurse, Hugh Thornton, Corey Liuget, Jeff Allen, Jason Ford, A.J. Jenkins and Michael Buchanan.
Top five impact freshmen: Osei, Jonathan Brown, Brandon Denmark, Earnest Thomas and Chandler Whitmer.

Harold,

I think it will be somewhere between 4-8 and 7-5, probably closer to 4-8. But I'm wrong often.
There is no chance Ron Zook will be fired during the season. Ron Guenther had to deal with that with Lou Tepper and I get the idea he never wants to be in that situation again.

Tom,

Your last line hit it on the head. The more talent at the position, the better. But inexperience at quarterback can be a real problem. Only one Illini has taken a snap in a college game and he's a receiver (Eddie McGee).
I don't think Nathan Scheelhaase is a typical redshirt freshman quarterback. He is very, very well prepared. So, he might be able to overcome the inexperience better than most.

JohnM,
There are eight home games that season, including home games against Western Michigan, Arkansas State, Arizona State and South Dakota State. The Big Ten schedule is going to change, but Illinois will still play four home games. It might be a different four than the current Penn State, Northwestern, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Right now, Illinois is scheduled to play the Badgers at home on Dec. 3. If there is a Big Ten title game, then that will have to change.

Dr. Phil,
You got me started with Missouri. That is the most important game in the Zook era. Period.

I'd also say the Big Ten opener against Ohio State and the game at Michigan. If Illinois can play closer against the Buckeyes that will give the team a boost. And winning a third straight game against Michigan might be enough to continue the Zook era.

I think the team has to win turnover/special team battles. Those areas don't get enough attention. Protecting the ball and taking it away can mean the difference between three wins and eight wins.

Jason,

I might have gone with Josh Brent but that isn't going to happen.
So, let's go out on a limb, predict a 1,400-yard season for Leshoure, an early entry into the draft and an early second-round pick by the, of course, Bears.

Will,

I think Terry Hawthorne and Tavon Wilson are solid at cornerback and will be better than Missouri expects. The safety position is a question, but it could get help if Walt Aikens comees back, which I think is possible.
The offensive line took a huge hit at the end of the spring with Corey Lewis getting hurt. But the coaches are excited about Hugh Thornton and Jeff Allen. They've got to make sure the fifth spot isn't a liability. Ryan Palmer has started in the past and was in a competition with Lewis.

Dennis,

I don't think the great players like Coe will put Illinois high on their lists until they see the wins start piling up.
Is that possible? Sure. For one, the nonconference schedule is easier and the games against Indiana and Purdue are at home. To me, Illinois has to start the season 3-3 or better to have a big year. That isn't going to be easy.
It's hard to figure out what kind of impact the new coaches will have, but it seems like the best coaching staff during the Zook era.

BW,

When you have a bunch of young quarterbacks, logic tells you to give them a look at other positions.
But Illinois will have only three scholarship quarterbacks on the team in 2010 and will need all three. Maybe later one of them could be tried at another position, but I don't see it happening.
Anderson and McGushin will get the bulk of their work on the scout team. I don't see them getting much critical time on the field during games.

Jim,

While there are always internal candidates, my guess is that Illinois will have a national search for its next AD. And I think Ron Guenther will have a very big say in who replaces him.
Would Jim Phillips be the perfect hire? Sure seems like it. But I've been told that he really likes it at Northwestern and I think the Big Ten would prefer that ADs not move from school to school.
I think Ron Guenther can stay as long as he wants. And I won't be surprised if he goes a few more years.
O'Toole seems to be more of a pro-style quarterback. He put up big numbers for a great team. He'll be a strong candidate to be our state player of the year.

John,

Great reporter work. Yes, it appears that Terry Hawthorne (now No. 1), Supo Sanni (7), Patrick Nixon-Youman (4) and others have changed numbers.
Generally, guys don't do that late in their careers unless it's a number they really wanted. It seems like Hawthorne wore a low number in high school, not No. 12, which he wore his first year at Illinois.