Bob Asmussen is chatting all day. To ask him a question click here.

Earnest Thomas
Safety
Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's
6-2, 195

Our take: One of the top players in the class, he originally made a commitment to UCLA. He also had offers from Stanford, Missouri, West Virginia and Wisconsin. But his final choice came down to Illinois and Minnesota. With Vic Koenning's defense, talented safeties are important pieces. Thomas has the ability to get on the field as a freshman, which played into his decision to pick Illinois. What had become a position of concern could turn into a strength with the addition of Thomas and Trulon Henry.

Why Illinois? "When I went on the visit, I felt a little more comfortable there. I liked the players, and a big part of the reason is Coach Vic. I developed a good relationship with him. The players and the coaches really seem like they want to get better, and they're trying to get back to where they were."    

What's your favorite moment in football? "I'd say playing ball at St. Mary's all-around. Every year, it was fun. I enjoyed being around these guys and these coaches. It's a great place to play ball. I had a lot of great moments here."

Favorite football player, college or pro: "Sean Taylor and Ray Lewis."

What school do you want to see the Big Ten add? "It doesn't really matter to me. The Big Ten is a great conference already. There are good players, good teams everywhere."

College football playoff or BCS? "I think a football playoff might be a good idea. There were a lot of teams like this past year that should have had a chance at the national championship and didn't get it."

What is your hidden talent? "I'm good at a lot of things. I like to say that I'm very versatile."

Are you playing in the Missouri game? "There's a good chance I could come in and play. The coaches expect me to come in and compete."

What do you need to improve most before the start of the season? "More than anything, getting my speed up and getting bigger, stronger and faster. You've got to do that at every level."