CHAMPAIGN – Dharma Frye woke up Wednesday a tailback. He went home a fullback.

That's the way things work early in spring football practice. Players move to fill needs. And at the University of Illinois, fullback is definitely a need.

Before Frye's switch, the team had one scholarship fullback – sophomore Elmer Hickman. Now, there's two. More could be on the way.

"We might have somebody else there tomorrow," UI running backs coach Jim Helms said. "It's a position we can flip-flop anybody. We could take the tailbacks and play them at fullback. It's all interchangeable parts."

It's an important part of Ron Turner's offense.

"It's always been huge," Turner said. "The guy's got to be able to block, carry the ball a little bit and catch the ball. If I had to pick two of the three, it would be block and catch."

The fullback wasn't a big part of Illinois' running offense in 1996. Rodney Byrd, who started 8 of 11 games, carried twice for 9 yards. He wasn't used much more as a receiver, catching 10 passes for 79 yards.

When Ty Douthard played fullback, the position saw more carries. Still, as an offensive threat, fullback was pretty much an afterthought.

In his four years as Chicago Bears offensive coordinator, Turner used the fullback extensively as a receiver.

UI offensive coordinator Buddy Teevens wants the UI fullback to be another weapon. He doesn't want opposing defenses to think, "Well, he's another guard in the backfield."

Not that the fullback can avoid blocking. Role No. 1 for the Frye and friends will be to keep people off the quarterback and make some holes for Robert Holcombe.

"We need an athletic guy who is not afraid to go up and take someone on physically and aggressively," Teevens said.

The fullback doesn't have to be a giant.

One of the best-blocking fullbacks Helms ever coached weighed 210 pounds, way small by fullback standards. Mississippi State's Fred McCrary was big enough for the Philadelphia Eagles, who took him in the sixth round of 1995 draft.

"He just had the knack and knew how to block with leverage," Helms said. "You don't have to be 240, 250. You just have to know what you're doing."

Frye isn't quite to 210, but Helms is hopeful. When the coaches looked to the tailback group for fullback help, Frye made the most sense.

Besides Frye and Hickman, the other listed fullbacks are Rantoul's Scott Quinlan and Danville's Ivery Lewis and Pete Sylvester. They'll be joined in the fall by Centennial's Robby Long, who played tight end in high school.

"We've got people lined up there," Helms said. "Somebody's going to have to play it."

The position isn't always easy to fill, Turner said. After high school players see his offense next season, Turner said fullbacks will like the Illini.

"When we locate them, we should be able to have a good chance to get one because of the way we use the fullback," Turner said. "It should be appealing to a young man."