MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Like all good football fans, Garrett Johnson spent Christmas mornings in front of the television, watching the Blue-Gray Game. It became a holiday tradition, right there with hanging stockings and drinking eggnog.

On Friday, the Illinois defensive tackle won't be in his usual spot. He'll be too busy trying to stuff running backs from the Gray team.

Four days after Marc Jackson committed to the Illinois football team, Ron Turner landed another member of the family.

On Saturday, Illinois hired Robert Jackson as receivers coach. He replaces Buddy Teevens, who left for a job at Florida.

Terry Workman got his wish. The Rantoul coach won't have to travel far to see his former Eagles play in college.

Rantoul offensive lineman Sean Bubin has committed to Illinois. He will join wide receiver/defensive back Dwayne Smith in Ron Turner's 1999 Illini recruiting class.

   CORVALLIS, Ore.  The Illinois football team beat Michigan on Wednesday for the first time since 1993.

   Instead of Johnny Johnson to Jim Klein, it was Marc Jackson to Ron Turner.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – When the Illinois football team plays Michigan next October, it won't be brother against brother.

Marc Jackson, a star safety and running back at Crescent Valley High School, picked Illinois over Michigan on Wednesday. Instead of lining up opposite his brother, Illini safety Bobby, Marc Jackson could end up starting next to him against the Wolverines.

First, let’s put faculty recommendations in the proper perspective:

Notre Dame’s 25-4 senate vote favoring consideration of Big Ten membership has roughly the same weight as the Urbana-Champaign student-faculty senate’s vote recommending the dissolution of Chief Illiniwek. Zippo.

Jeff Ruffin enjoyed his weekend visit to Illinois so much, he’s passing up fun in the sun.

The Aurora West defensive tackle had a recruiting trip planned in early January to Florida. But he canceled it and committed Sunday to the Illini.

CHAMPAIGN – Antoineo Harris and Carlos Lattimore share everything: a position, a school, a problem.

The Illinois running backs first got to know each during the summer. Now they're inseparable, by necessity and by choice.