Tate: Better days ahead for UI football

For more on Illinois football, check out Bob's Blast, courtesy beat writer Bob Asmussen.

CHAMPAIGN – For all the November problems, January could turn out to be a good month for Ron Zook's Illini.

Not that we're celebrating the departures of coaches Mike Locksley, Eric Wolford and Tom Sims. They are good men who made major contributions in lifting the UI out of a 30-for-32 Big Ten tailspin.

But you can look for Zook to come out of this week's convention with quality replacements. With Ron Guenther loosening the purse strings, thanks to committed supporters, Zook is reportedly making runs at two of the most prestigious line coaches in the business, Larry Johnson of Penn State and Rick Trickett of Florida State. Call that starting at the top.

If Zook lands Johnson as defensive coordinator, he'll install a coach who has produced seven all-conference defensive linemen since 2002, a seven-year period in which Illinois has had none. The new offensive coordinator, Mike Schultz, arrives from TCU with glowing credentials and a fresh look that should be beneficial. As for Trickett or whatever new soldier directs the offensive line, that unnamed individual will be the fourth to handle that position in a six-year period.

Locksley leaves Schultz with a unit bubbling with experience. Schultz inherits Juice Williams and his top two QB backups, the top four running backs, the Big Ten's most underrated tight end (Michael Hoomanawanui), an overflowing band of receivers featuring Arrelious Benn and adding Floridian Jarred Fayson, and a front wall with sufficient huskies to step in for graduates Ryan McDonald, Eric Block and Xavier Fulton.

Defensively, it is a different story. Sirod Williams will rejoin an Illini line unit headed up by Corey Liuget, Josh Brent and Doug Pilcher, but the linebacking will need restructuring, and the secondary is unsettled.

Timing is right

Meanwhile, Illini foes are losing offensive stars left and right. Early NFL entries P.J. Hill of Wisconsin and Shonn Greene of Iowa don't matter so much because Illinois drops those rivals while picking up Michigan State and Purdue. But departing Beanie Wells is a difference-maker for Ohio State, and Penn State's pass rush will miss Aaron Maybin.

Opening foe Missouri is hit particularly hard. Missouri needs to replace its quarterback (Chase Daniel) and three receivers – led by early entry Jeremy Maclin. Maclin and seniors Chase Coffman and Tommy Saunders accounted for 264 receptions for 3,080 yards this season. Now THAT is a graduation hit. And that doesn't count Maclin's spectacular runs from scrimmage and on kick returns. Add linemen Colin Brown and Ryan Madison to the list, and seven senior defenders who started the Alamo Bowl, and there has never been a better time to open the season against the Tigers.

And for those who didn't want to see Guenther schedule Cincinnati, consider that the Bearcats lose 10 defensive starters, had no rusher gain 700 yards in an 11-3 season, and lose one of their 80-catch receivers (Mardy Gilyard returns).

The tough aspect of the schedule is that the Illini open the Big Ten race against Ohio State and Penn State, and no matter how many players they lose, their quarterbacks return and their overall talent will always be greater than the UI's. To avoid an 0-2 start, Zook will need an upset like Bruce Weber pulled recently at Purdue ... or, more appropriately, the kind of upset Illinois has pulled frequently against the Buckeye football team.

Football tidbits

– Only two new football players will enroll next week when the spring semester starts. They are juco transfers Jamar Bass and Aaron Gress. With UI veteran Jon Asamoah slated to move to center, Hutchinson's 290-pound Bass will compete with Randall Hunt, Graham Pocic and others at offensive guard. Gress, who comes from the College of Sequoias (like running back Daniel Dufrene), is expected to check in near 240 pounds, and could join the middle linebacker mix. Also expected back is cornerback Patrick Nixon, a 2008 recruit from Jacksonville, Fla.

– Committed Illini recruits are believed to be holding solid with the coaching changes, although D.C. defensive back Joelil Thrash is visiting Locksley at New Mexico, and East St. Louis receiver Kraig Appleton has everyone guessing. Latest word from St. Louis is that Ronnie Wingo may be leaning to Missouri even though his chances of playing are greater at Illinois than in competition with 1,036-yard rusher Derrick Washington at Missouri. And Wolford's departure sharply diminished the UI's longshot efforts to attract two extraordinary Ohio linemen, Marcus Hall and Melvin Fellows, out of the Cleveland area. Fellows originally committed to Illinois and long since switched to Ohio State.

– Coaching salaries continue to escalate despite the ongoing recession. But Penn State can't come close to matching Illinois' offer for Johnson without boosting Joe Paterno's heir apparent, Tom Bradley, who is defensive coordinator and in the $250,000 range. On that subject, Wolford will make far more as line coach at South Carolina than Bradley brings in.

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.

Comments

Add a Comment