Ryan Lankford
Receiver
Jacksonville (Fla.) Paxon School
5-11, 175

Our take: His dad, Paul Lankford, played defensive back at Penn State, then spent a decade with the Dolphins. He knows the game and has faced a tougher defender in the backyard at home than almost anything he'll see in college. With Arrelious Benn gone to the NFL, he'll have a chance to get onto the field early. Paul Petrino has a reputation for getting the most out of his receivers. The keys for Lankford will be adding the strength you need to play in college and learning the offense in a short time.

Why Illinois? "When I went there for my official visit, I really felt like it was a big football family. The coaches, everyone on the team, wanted to see you be your best. Of course, there's going to be competition. It seemed like everything was positive competition."

What's your favorite moment in football? "My junior year, we were playing our rival school (Stanton) at our home field. And we were down by five points. They actually had the ball and were going in. We had an interception and drove 90 yards down the field in less than a minute. I caught the winning touchdown and made the paper the next day."   

Favorite football player, college or pro: "I like Peyton Manning's composure. It seems like he never gives up."

What school do you want to see the Big Ten add? "Pittsburgh."

College football playoff or BCS? "I would like a playoff. I don't like that you already get points for where you are positioned."

What is your hidden talent? "I'm a really good cook. I'm a big breakfast guy, pancakes, French toast."

Are you playing in the Missouri game? "I'm not sure if I'm going to come in and redshirt. They said that all depends on when I get there how I do in training camp and workouts. We'll go from there."

What do you need to improve most before the start of the season? "I can always work on my hands. I can always work on my speed. I need to get a little bit bigger."