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Ron Zook's team continued practice on Friday. A look:

TODAY'S NOTES

-- Future Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was at Friday's practice with his dad, Nate, and best friend Frank Ybarra.

"It's exciting to get out here and watch the players," Scheelhaase said. "They're preparing for the season you're going to be playing in. You wish you could be out there."

Scheelhaase is about halfway into his track season, with an important meet scheduled next weekend. He will return to Champaign for the April 25 spring game. Scheelhaase plans to move to Illinois for good early in June.

Scheelhaase will follow the Illini to Oak Park-River Forest for Saturday's scrimmage.

"That's great," Ron Zook said. "That's the kind of kid he is."

-- Yes, Zook realizes there is a marathon finishing at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

"I think it's good," Zook said. "Obviously, it's great for the community. I'm worried a little bit about our kids getting in here. I moved the meetings up about as I felt like I could."

When Zook coached with the Steelers, he ran part of a marathon relay.
"I ran 7 or 8 miles," Zook said. "It was really exciting. It was a big-time race."

-- Tailback Daniel Dufrene returned to practice Friday after missing time with a sore hamstring.

"We're trying to inch him back in there," Zook said. "We don't want to bring him back too fast. We stuck him in there a little bit tonight and hopefully he'll get a few plays tomorrow."

The Illini are still missing tailback Troy Pollard.

"Bucket of Hair (Pollard) had a couple of great days," Zook said. "He was back to the old Bucket of Hair. Then, he makes a move and gets a bone bruise. I think he'll be ready to go next week."

— Of course, Supo Sanni and Russell Ellington are thrilled to be practicing close to home today. But what they really wanted was to be at  Homewood-Flossmoor.

“We couldn’t get the deal done,” Sanni said. “Some day we will. I think that was the first option.”

“I was disappointed,” sophomore linebacker Ellington said. “I was happy getting ready to go to Homewood-Flossmoor.”

Homewood-Flossmoor was considered for Saturday’s event, which will instead be at Oak Park-River Forest. But a conflict with a track meet meant the Illini would have to practice elsewhere.

“They tried to accommodate us,” Zook said. “They’ve got a nice facility.”

Ellington and sophomore safety Sanni will still have plenty of family members at Oak Park-River Forest.

“Mom, dad, cousins, everybody,” Sanni said.

Sanni and linebacker Ellington enjoy being on the same team. Just like in high school.

“We give a glimpse at each other every down when we’re out there together,” Sanni said. “It’s the same thing we had at Homewood-Flossmoor.”

— Another player returning close to home Saturday is receiver Jack Ramsey. The Chicago Morgan Park product is off to a good start in the spring.

“If Jack continues to do what he’s doing, he’s going to get plenty of (playing) time,” Illinois coach Ron Zook said.

Ramsey is working his way into the rotation.

“It’s a competition,” Ramsey said. “I know I’ve got Jarred Fayson in front of me. I just learn from him. He helps me out a lot.”

A high school quarterback, Ramsey is ready for the reverse pass.

“Every chance I get, I throw the ball,” Ramsey said. “They’re not going to give me a chance I don’t think.”

Being a former quarterback helps at receiver, Ramsey said.

“I know what type of coverages they see,” Ramsey said. “I know where the receiver is supposed to be.”

Now, Ramsey has to get used to catching the ball. He “dropped a lot of balls” the first two spring practices, but has improved in later workouts.

“Afterward in the film room, Coach (Jim) Pry says, ‘Jack, catch the ball. Focus on the ball. Stop fighting the ball,’ ” Ramsey said. “Every time I drop the ball, I already here him in my head.”

— Zook has talked to plenty of NFL officials about former cornerback Vontae Davis. The messsage is always the same:

“Vontae can be a guy who can play for 15 years,” Zook said. “He’s such an athletic guy. To me, the sky’s the limit for him. It’s important to him. He’s a gym rat. He’ll work extremely hard to be the best that he can be.”

Davis, who left Illinois after his junior season, is projected as a first-round pick by draft experts.

“I really think he’ll make a great pro,” Zook said.

TODAY'S QUOTES

-- "No. 1 would be no turnovers. If we can prevent turnovers and keep the ball in our hands, we will win a lot of games. We'd have won a lot more games last year if we could have stopped some of the turnovers we had," Mikel Leshoure describing the goal for the Illinois tailbacks in 2009.

-- "He’s awesome. He’s technically sound. He’s hard on us, but he’s honest. He keeps it real straight with us. We know exactly where we are. He’s exactly what you want in an offensive line coach,” center Eric Block on new coach Joe Gilbert.

 “As of right now, I feel good. I feel we’re better than last spring. But we’ve still got a long way to go," starting right tackle Jeff Allen on the progress of the offensive line.