Brian A,

I think it will be an open competition in the spring. But it's hard to imagine that Ryan Lankford won't get a long look after how well he performed late in the season. He had a major impact in the Illinois bowl win and I think will only get better.

Justin DuVernois needs to show the coaches that he can get the ball off quickly and handle all of the snaps. The punting game cost Illinois a game or two.

I understand new special teams coordinator Tim Salem is open to both the conventional and rugby style punter. And you know coaches want to have the opponents worrying about both.

Alamo,

I believe him when he says he hasn't made a decision yet. Recruiting and hiring a staff had to be his top priorities. I think once he takes a look at the facilities and talks to the people in Rantoul, he is going to have a difficult time not returning there.

Camp Rantoul has been an asset to the Illinois football program, in my opinion. The city embraces the team, the players are together all of the time and the facilities are top notch. And improving. The annual scrimmage at Rantoul High School has been a huge success, even when the weather didn't cooperate.

An NFL-style training camp also helps the players as they move forward in their careers. It will be like it is at Rantoul if they reach the NFL.

Tim Beckman has every right to bring the team back to Champaign-Urbana for training camp. In some ways, it would make life a bit easier for the players and coaches. But they are going to have to stay somewhere during the two weeks in August and it will be more expensive in C-U.

And there is something to be said for keeping your training camp out of the public eye. But I think the Illinois opponents will have a pretty good idea of what the Illini are going to do even without the benefit of watching practices. And wouldn't that be unethical?

Dennis,

I think next year's Illinois class will be much higher rated than the group Illinois just signed. They will have a full year to recruit as opposed to a couple of weeks. And it is considered a very good year in the state.

You are right about the coaches being very gung ho. That excitement level should translate to very good work in recruiting. Generally, players like those type of personalities in their coaches.

I have seen some of the uniform proposals. I don't think you will see anything on the field before the season starts. But I do think you might see an example of them on players once they decide on the uniforms. I don't believe decisions have been made yet. Tim Beckman has had too many other things on his plate to worry about uniforms.

Sonny,

I don't think it was so much a problem between Ron Zook and the Illinois high school coaches as it was the perception about Zook's job security. It's hard to send one of your players to a school if you aren't the school is going to keep the coach beyond the current year. After the 2008 season, Illinois had a difficult time recruiting both in Illinois and beyond because of Zook's job status. Rival schools used the status against Zook and Illinois.

In the eyes of the coaches in the state, Beckman and his staff get a fresh start. Hiring Luke Butkus, who has all sorts of recognition in Chicago, was an important decision. He will open many doors. And Tim Beckman will be at high schools in Chicago and the rest of the state all of the time.

Illinois has to build relationships in the state with the new staff. It might take a year or two, but Beckman's staff has to assure the coaches in Illinois that their players are the priority.

It's too early to make a call on Ty Isaac and others relative to Illinois. It's important for the stat to stay in the race with the top players in the state. The more time Isaac and pals visit the campus, the better the chance they will pick Illinois.

John,

I think the 2012 Illinois team has enough talent to win games. Certainly, enough to get back to a bowl. The program has won consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history and returns several key players, on both sides of the ball. Nathan Scheelhaase, Graham Pocic, Hugh Thornton, Donovonn Young, Akeem Spence, Michael Buchanan, Jonathan Brown, Terry Hawthorne and Justin Green are a good start. They have learned how to win the last couple of years.

What will be crucial for Illinois is winning more than seven games. If Tim Beckman gets the team to eight, nine or 10 wins, it will make recruiting much easier for the staff in 2013 and beyond.

Illinois doesn't need to have the same level of recruits as Ohio State or Michigan to beat them. It has to be as close as possible, coach better, play better and get a little luck.

Ohio State continues to have some off-the-field issues that could dent the early years of Urban Meyer. And Penn State's issues don't seem to be going away soon.