COACH AND PROGRAM
After four years of working hard to restore the Illinois football program, Ron Turner finally reaped some rewards last season.
The Fighting Illini won their first outright Big Ten title since 1983 and had their first-10 win season since 1990 en route to the school’s first appearance in a Bowl Championship Series game. Illinois lost to LSU, 47-34, in the Sugar Bowl, but the team was proud of what it accomplished last season.
Turner, the Big Ten Coach of the Year, certainly was.
"Our team showed a lot of character last season," the sixth-year head coach said. "The senior class took it upon itself to prove that we had the talent to compete for a Big Ten title. That has always been our goal and last year was a culmination of a lot of hard work [from the entire program]."
The work ethic might have stayed in Champaign, but Turner will not have that same senior class around to try and duplicate the team’s most successful season in more than a decade.
Illinois has the talent to offset some of the losses, but the million-dollar question heading into the season will be: Can the offense survive without Kurt Kittner?
For the last four seasons, Turner had No. 15 around to run his pro-style offense. Now, the offensive guru has to settle on either junior transfer Jon Beutjer or Kittner’s backup last year, junior Dustin Ward .
The decision is such a big one the coach has tabled it until fall workouts.
"I have no idea [who will start], I really don’t," Turner said after the spring game. "We’ll sit down, study those films, and have those two guys continue to complete.
"I think they are both doing a good job running the offense and feel we can win with either one of them."
That’s because the winner will have an excellent supporting cast with seven starters back from last year’s record-setting offense. Of course, Kittner was also a huge part of the team’s 5,000 yards of total offense and 32.5 points per game -- both school records.
However, Illinois still has the premier receiving duo in the conference, and one of the best in the nation, in junior Brandon Lloyd and senior Walter Young .
The defense also has seven starters back after thriving under then-new coordinator Mike Cassity and his aggressive style of play last fall. The Illini set a school record last season with 40 sacks and 18 interceptions while reducing their rushing yards allowed from 2,800 in 2000 to 1,617.
QUARTERBACKS
With Kittner off to the Atlanta Falcons, the Fighting Illini are searching for a starting quarterback for the first time since 1999.
Ward (6-3, 205) and Beutjer (6-5, 205) were almost even during spring ball, so the battle carries over into August.
Going into the spring, Ward might have held a slight edge because he was Kittner’s backup for two years. He completed 4-of-8 passes for 31 yards and one touchdown last season in three games. He is also more mobile than Beutjer.
Beutjer sat out last season after transferring from Iowa, where he threw for 841 yards and six touchdowns in four games during the 2000 season. He left the Hawkeyes’ program after an altercation with a teammate.
Beutjer’s assets are a stronger arm and more game-day experience. Illinois recruited him coming out of Warrenville South High School, but he opted for Iowa first.
Sophomore Mark Kornfeld (6-1, 195) was also expected to battle for the starting job, but Turner experimented with him at receiver during spring practice. He also took some snaps at quarterback, though.
Freshman Matt Rinklin (6-2, 200) and red-shirt freshman Brian Zeches (6-1, 205) are also on the roster, but don’t figure to play much.
The Fighting Illini added one more signal caller in the recruiting class. Chris Pazan (6-2, 190) threw for 1,880 yards and 21 touchdowns last fall at Brother Rice in Chicago. He threw only one interception and was selected to the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times all-state teams.
RUNNING BACKS
After sharing the job the last three seasons with Rocky Harvey, senior Antoineo Harris (6-1, 221) is ready to fly solo.
The Fighting Illini averaged 142.8 yards per game on the ground last season with a split backfield. Harris led the team with 669 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games, missing the other two with a broken wrist. The powerful tailback has led the team in rushing the last two seasons.
"We are looking for great things from Antoineo this season," Turner said. "He has always shared time in the backfield … and this season he will play a new role. We have a lot of confidence he will rise to the challenge."
If Harris can’t carry the entire load, red-shirt freshman Morris Virgil (5-10, 195) and sophomore Ryan Clifford (5-10, 190) will be waiting in the wings.
Virgil sat out last season as a partial qualifier, but the Urbana product had an impressive high school resume, which includes running a 10.3 in the 100-meter dash. He rushed for a school-record 1,585 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior, and earned a host of postseason all-state team honors.
Virgil’s speed could be the perfect complement to Harris if Illinois decides to revive a two-tailback rotation.
Clifford also could figure into the mix, but sat out last season after transferring from Eastern Michigan. He missed the 2000 season at EMU with a knee injury.
Red-shirt freshman Abe Jones (5-11, 170) was also listed on the spring roster, but worked at cornerback in practice.
Junior Carey Davis (6-0, 215) enters his second season starting at fullback and was the team’s third leading rusher last year with 467 yards. He rolled up more than 700 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns, including three on receptions.
Backing Davis up are junior Brad Haywood (6-1, 230), a converted safety, and senior Carlos Lattimore (6-1, 215), who figures to contribute more on special teams.
Illinois added two running backs in its recruiting class -- tailback Ibrahim Halsey (5-11, 190) and fullback Jason Davis (5-11, 190).
The former could force his way into the lineup by the time the season rolls around.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
The quarterback might be a question mark, but Turner has no doubt who can catch the ball on his team. Size, speed and experience make this one of the strongest units.
Lloyd (6-2, 176) became only the fourth Illini player to reach the 1,000-yard mark in receiving last year when he caught 65 passes for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to being voted second-team All-Big Ten. Eleven of those receptions were more than 30 yards for the flanker, not bad for a guy who missed the 2000 season with a broken leg.
"Having Brandon back in the lineup last season added a new dimension to our passing game," Turner said.
On the other side, Young (6-5, 218) emerged as the team’s deep threat at split end by hauling in 50 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns.
Illinois has two veteran backups in seniors Greg Lewis (6-0, 180) and Aaron Moorehead (6-3, 200), who combined for 30 receptions for 514 yards and three touchdowns. Lewis started in 2000, and led the team with 544 receiving yards and six touchdowns, but lost his job to Lloyd.
"These athletes have been on the field together since 1999 and know their role in our system," Turner said of the quartet.
Illinois has more depth in junior Eric McGoey (6-3, 200), sophomore special teams standout Ade Adeyemo (6-0, 195) and red-shirt freshman Kendrick Jones (6-1, 180) from East St. Louis.
Incoming freshman Franklin Payne (6-0, 185) was a playmaker at University School of Jackson in Tennessee, finishing his high school career with 3,074 rushing yards, 2,551 receiving yards and 1,306 return yards to go with 84 touchdowns. He was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Football Award and a three-time all-state selection.
Illinois needs to replace two-year starter Brian Hodges at tight end and has two sophomore candidates and junior Kenny Boyle (6-3, 240) to pick from.
The sophomores are Anthony McClellan (6-3, 243) and Estus Hood (6-4, 235). Hood has switched between tight end and linebacker since coming to Illinois.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Illini will miss second-team Big Ten center Luke Butkus and first-team guard Jay Kulaga, but Pashos’ return gives them a rather large anchor at right tackle.
Pashos (6-6, 315) has started every game of his career -- 35 straight -- after a red-shirt season in 1998, and could break the school mark with 11 starts this season. He recorded 111 knockdown blocks last year.
Joining him on the line are returning starters Sean Bubin (6-7, 300), a junior left tackle, and sophomore right guard Patrick Babcock (6-4, 290).
Bubin allowed only one sack as Kittner’s blind-side protector, which was his first year as a starter. Babcock started 11 games at right guard, missing the Sugar Bowl with a broken wrist.
"Our coaching staff made the offensive line a priority when we arrived in 1997, and I think we have a great group of strong, quick athletes who are improving each year," Turner said.
Illinois still has two holes to fill on the line. If sophomore center Duke Preston (6-5, 295) and senior left guard David Diehl (6-6, 300) can step in, Illinois will have one big line.
Preston backed up Butkus last year and also played on special teams. Senior James Brown (6-3, 290) moved over to center, from right tackle, this spring and figures to help, too.
At guard, sophomore Brian Koch (6-3, 290) will work behind Diehl at the left spot, while junior Aaron Hodges (6-3, 290) and sophomore Dave Hilderbrand (6-3, 285) add depth at right guard.
Depth at the tackle spots come from red-shirt freshman Kyle Schnettgoecke (6-3, 275), sophomore Clark Collins (6-3, 280) and also Brown.
KICKERS
Illinois relied on three kickers to get the job done last year, and all three of them are back for another season. Once again, the job remains unsettled heading into fall practices.
Junior JJ Tubbs (5-9, 165) earned the starting job last season, but a back injury forced him to the sideline. He was 5-of-8 on field goals and 9-for-9 on extra points in three games.
Junior Peter Christofilakos (5-9, 166) took over the job against Louisville, and finished 12-of-13 on field goals and converted all 29 PATs.
Junior John Gockman (5-10, 165), from Joliet (Ill.) Junior College, served as the long-range specialist last year for the Illini.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Rotation seems to be the key for the Illinois front four. Two years ago, injuries to five players before fall practice started limited the frontline’s effectiveness
Last year, the Illini rotated 10 or 11 linemen per game, and had a record year for sacks and also had 49 tackles for losses.
Just like with good produce, freshness is the key.
"When we are successful on defense it is because of the health of our line," said Turner, who has nine players with game-day experience back from last season. "Guys were making plays in the fourth quarter last year and we were able to maintain our aggressiveness throughout the game."
Two starters from last year return, but the younger linemen need to step up and replace Brandon Moore and Terrell Washington, who combined for 91 tackles, nine sacks and 18 quarterback pressures.
Senior defensive tackle Brett Kautter (6-2, 278) and junior defensive end Mike O’Brien (6-6, 245) are the returning starters. O’Brien is coming off a five-sack season, which was tied for second highest on the team.
Junior defensive tackle Jeff Ruffin (6-4, 290) did not start last year, but he still posted five sacks and 21 tackles. Ruffin has the inside track to other starting tackle job with senior Jamie Hanton (6-4, 280), pushing him for time. Junior Charles Gilstrap (6-3, 290) and sophomore newcomer Mike Maloney (6-3, 277) provide depth at both inside spots.
Junior end Derrick Strong (6-4, 250) had four sacks and led the team with three forced fumbles last year. He appears to be the other starter at end heading into fall camp, but sophomore Lamont Holden (6-3, 250) could push for time after moving over from linebacker.
Junior Jemari Perry (6-4, 245) figures into the mix, but is coming off a broken leg that forced him to miss the final five games last season.
LINEBACKERS
Inside. Outside. It doesn’t matter for Schumacher (6-3, 235) -- he just gets the job done. The Illini’s leading tackler from last season, with 125 stops and a team-high six sacks, returns for his third season as a starter. After playing outside as a sophomore, he successfully made the move to middle linebacker last fall.
"Jerry is one of the most athletic linebackers in the league," Turner said. "With his leadership, the defense can continue to improve from where we were last year."
Schumacher will have two familiar faces on the outside. Junior second-year starters Joe Bevis (6-0, 225) and Ty Myers (6-4, 235) return to solidify this unit and the front seven. The duo combined for 126 tackles, six sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Bevis made 78 of those stops, which was the third highest on the team.
Sophomore Mike Gawelek (6-2, 235) and red-shirt freshman Antonio Mason (6-0, 240) will back up Schumacher in the middle.
On the outside, junior Winston Taylor (6-0, 240) and sophomore Matt Sinclair (6-3, 230) are expected to be the first guys off the bench.
Sinclair, a heralded recruit out of the St. Louis area, could push Bevis for playing time. Taylor is a transfer from Eastern Illinois who sat out last season. He was a two-year starter at EIU.
"I really believe linebacker can be a strong area for us this year," Turner said.
The Illini added two in-state freshmen to the mix in Cyrus Garrett (6-3, 215) and Josh Tischer (6-1, 215). Garrett had 89 tackles and 18 sacks for Romeoville last fall, while Tischer recorded more than 300 tackles during his junior and senior seasons at Morris High.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Illinois has a 50/50 secondary. The cornerbacks are seasoned veterans, but the safety spots are up for grabs after losing standouts Muhammad Abdullah and Bobby Jackson.
The cornerbacks might form one of the best duos in the nation, with Wilson (5-11, 185) and Morton (6-1, 180).
Wilson made a host of All-America teams after finishing with 70 tackles and six interceptions. He also led the nation in breaking up 30 passes and was selected the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after his three-interception performance against Penn State.
The third cornerback, senior Michael Hall (5-10, 175), can also play and pushed Morton for his job in the spring. The JUCO transfer from California served as Illinois’ fifth defensive back last season and finished with 21 tackles and an interception.
Junior Nana Agyeman (6-2, 200) and Jones add depth to the position along with red-shirt freshman James Cooper (5-10, 185).
The safety positions are uncertain with a trio of players fighting for the free safety job alone. Sophomore Sedrick Davenport (6-0, 185), and juniors Marc Jackson (6-1, 205) and Jamaal Clark (6-2, 190) are locked in a battle for the job, which will carry over into fall practice.
Clark backed up Abdullah last season and was also a strong special teams player. Jackson, the younger brother of Bobby Jackson, fought for the free safety job last year before a shoulder injury knocked him out of action.
Sophomore Taman Jordan (5-11, 195) has the most experience in the strong safety battle, playing in 10 games last year as a freshman. Red-shirt freshman Kyle Kleckner (6-0, 190) was listed second on the depth chart after spring ball, while sophomore Ken Anderson (6-2, 200) also enters the mix.
"The athletes we have returning are going to have to step up to the challenge," Turner said.
Four freshmen DBs arrive in August, including St. Agnes graduate Anthony Longe (5-11, 170), an all-state defensive back from Minnesota. California junior college transfer James McGill (6-2, 210), who was expected to contend for the starting strong safety spot, was ruled academically ineligible in July. McGill was the Junior College Football Coaches Association’s Defensive Player of the Year last fall at Bakersfield College after recording 79 tackles, four interceptions and forcing four fumbles.
PUNTERS
Illinois is in the market for a new punter after four-year starter Steve Fitts graduated as the school’s all-time leader in punts, punt yardage and punt average.
Sophomore Matt Mines (6-2, 200) and red-shirt freshman Steve Weatherford (6-4, 215) will battle it out for the starting job, with the duel carrying over into fall practice. Both players have strong legs, but are also green at the collegiate level.
Mines walked on and red-shirted his freshman season in 2000. Last year, he missed the season with a near-fatal virus in his blood system. Weatherford was red-shirted last season and served as the backup to Fitts.
RECRUITING CLASS
On paper, Illinois’ incoming class might not bowl you over, but there could be some pleasant surprises in the group. Ohio State easily had the best recruiting class in the Big Ten and the Illini should figure somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Turner’s staff was able to dip into a couple of states to land players, grabbing four quality players from Indiana and two from New Jersey in Halsey and Maddox. He addressed several needs for the Illini and that should help the program continue to grow.
This group has a lot of potential, but it will take a couple years to see if the new recruits can live up to it.
