It's signing day for the Illini!

But first, a quick announcement from the life of JayD!

I'm only working on 4 hours of sleep due to my roomate's music playing last night and this morning. I was very not happy to still be awake at 3:30 and up at 7:30 (I can never go back to sleep once there's light in the room). I only got 3 hours the night before while I was working on a paper and was looking forward to catching up last night. Oh well.

A side note...is it just me, or does a room fill up with light like a bagillion times faster when there is snow on the ground? There is no reason to be as much light as there was in my room at 7:30 and I even have a black curtain (albeit a thin one) hanging over my window to help prevent it a bit more.

Anyway, that's probably all that is on my mind right now, other than the Illini!

Here is a list of players that the Illini are supposed to sign today:

Josh Brent
(Central Catholic HS)
Bloomington, IL 6-3/300/5.00 12/26/2006

Anytime a central Illinois town (like Bloomington-Normal where Heath and Bev, my personal favorite Illini couple reside) produces a high quality football player, the Illini need to lock him up and they did just that with Brent. Brent is one big man, but as shown by his hoops career, he has some agility. When a man is my height, weighs 90 pounds more than me, and could likely outrun me in the 40...you know you have an athlete. Not that I'm a great athlete, but it's not like I didn't play football in high school. I'm looking forward to Brent taking over for Norwell on the line next season...and to whatever he'll bring us this season and he's surely going to get some PT, according to Shirley.

Martez Wilson
(Simeon Vocational HS)
Chicago,IL 6-4/228/4.50 12/21/2006

We often hear the term 'freak' describing the uber-athletic basketball players. It's sometimes referenced in football (see Jevon Kearse) and it should be used here. Wilson is an incredible athlete who is strong enough to play with his hand down and fast enough to play standing up on the outside. He has the potential to be the best pass rusher the Illini have since Simeon Rice (whom he's often compared to). If that weren't enough to make him a 5 star athlete, he can also move over to offense where he wowed the scouts at the All-American Combine by abusing DB in the passing game. It is said that Wilson will focus on defense, but will see the field on offense on 3rd down and red zone situations. If Cumberland improves his hands this season, the Illini are going to be scary in the red zone with he and Wilson on the outside on top of Benn running around...not to mention the QB with the rocket arm and wheels to break out of the pocket for a score if there is some minute chance those big WR cannot get open.

Jack Cornell
(Quincy Notre Dame HS)
Quincy,IL 6-7/305/4.90 12/19/2006

Big Jack had a bout with temporary insanity when he committed to the nut-job that used to patrol the sidelines in East Lansing, but after his dismissal had a change of heart and decided to join the rebuilding campaign in Champaign-Urbana! One of the biggest weaknesses on this Illini team last season was the offensive line, especially at the T positions. This means that it's open season for starting spots on the line and Cornell will have a chance to compete. I prefer linemen, especially offensive linemen, redshirt in their first season as few are physically ready to hold off college-aged defensive linemen. I hope that the Illini can get by with what they have this season so Cornell does not have to see the field.

D'Angelo McCray
(Andrew Jackson HS)
Jacksonville,FL 6-4/290/4.85 12/14/2006

Coach Zook and Disch's ties to Florida help the Illini out a great deal with the pledge of McCray from Jacksonville, Florida. One of the top DT in the nation, McCray will likely enter the fall as the favorite to start next to Chris Norwell on the defensive line. McCray is versatile enough to play both DT and DE, so I'm sure we'll see him line up in both positions. Derek Walker and Doug Pilcher are incumbants at the end spots and are not bad players, but it will be nearly impossible to keep McCray off the field, especially in passing situations. I see McCray starting out playing both DT and DE in passing situations while David Lindquist and Doug Pilcher see action on running situations. I actually pity the offensive lines that have will have to figure out a way to contain a line of Martez Wilson, D'Angelo McCray, Josh Brent, and Daryl Ballew one day...not to mention the ones that will have to figure out a way to stop Wilson, McCray, Norwell, and Walker.

Daniel Dufrene
(College of the Sequoias)
Visalia,CA 5-11/205/4.45 12/12/2006

This junior college transfer (who still has three years of eligibility left) will come in unheralded to those who don't closely follow recruiting (especially with his 2-star rating), but Dufrene should make one of the larger impacts of all the incoming recruits. He has already seen some college action and did pretty well (his rivals video is sick) in that time. He was offered by some high-quality football programs and should immediately slide into the #2 HB position behind Rashard Mendenhall. If Mendenhall cannot hold up as a full-time starter (or cannot hold on to the ball), Dufrene could even supplant him as the feature back. Dufrene may never be THE main back in Champaign with two more years of Mendenhall and a hopeful 2008 recruiting class consisting of Mikel Leshoure and/or Jason Ford, but he is a very important recruit for the Illini.

Mark Jackson
(Harmony Community School Midd)
Cincinnati,OH 6-5/290/5.20 12/11/2006

The big man from Ohio is going to be overshadowed by Craig Wilson and Jack Cornell in this recruiting class, but this man is a future starter on the Illini offensive line. Listed as one of the top 10 center recruits in the nation by Scout and as a 4-star tackle by Rivals, the kid obviously has some upside. The only thing left to determine with him is just where and when he'll be starting for the Fighting Illini!

Erique Robertson
(Maple Heights Senior HS)
Maple Heights,OH 5-11/210 12/11/2006

I love it when the Illini take players that Iowa wants. Any of their first targets that we can take, why not (assuming they're up to the talent level that Zook and the Illini are going after). Robertson will have some battles for playing time at the weakside linebacker position, but will have the added advantage of spring practice as he enrolled early to attend Illinois. We should see Robertson on the field for special teams this season and one of the front runners for one of the two OLB spots that should open up next season (assuming a Miller move back MLB after Leman's departure).

Darius Purcell
(Hubbard HS)
Chicago,IL 5-11/215/4.60 12/11/2006

The Illini made great effort to to stock the safety position in this class and Purcell was one of the final pieces that was added. My guess is that Zook loves the players in the mold/size of Purcell, Erique Roberston, Ian Thomas etc not even so much as potential starters (which any of them may be one day), but for versatility in special teams. Special teams has been a sore spot for the Illini in recent years and I see the continued recruitments of players like Purcell as a direct attempt to rectify that.

Ian Thomas
(Dematha Catholic HS)
Hyattsville,MD 6-0/200/4.70 12/07/2006

Any chance the Illini get to go and grab a talented player from a football factory like Dematha is a chance that should be taken. Thomas, like Robertson and Purcell, will likely see the field on special teams early in his career and develop into a starter at the weakside LB position before he graduates. Again, inroads to a school like Dematha are very important and Ian Thomas will benefit the Illini in ways that extend beyond what he can do on the gridiron.

Brian Gamble
(Washington HS)
Massillon,OH 6-0/190 12/05/2006

Gamble is probably the recruit I'm most looking forward to seeing amongst those rated as 3-stars or lower by the recruiting services. Gamble is a great athlete that was passed over by traditional powers (like Ohio State) because of grades. Gamble single-handedly won many games for his Washington High School by his skills out of the backfield and in the defensive secondary. I feel this guy will greatly out-perform his 'ranking' and be a leading candidate to take over at one of the safety positions after the graduations of Justin Harrison, Kevin Mitchell, and Justin Sanders next spring. I also suspect he'll be an immediate impact player on special teams.

Troy Pollard
(Andrew Jackson HS)
Jacksonville,FL 5-8/175/4.50 12/05/2006

Don't be fooled by Pollard's size (read: lack thereof), he's the prototypical scatback for the spread offense. He's small and quick, which will allow him to dart right through the holes created by his offensive lineman. Pollard will be fighting with for playing time with Walter Mendenhall and Charles Bailey in their backup efforts for Rashard Mendenhall and Dufrene and will see more carries in each season he plays with the Illini.

Arrelious Benn
(Dunbar HS)
Washington,DC 6-2/205/4.50 11/09/2006

With all due respect to Mr. Wilson, Benn is the crown jewel of this recruiting class. He fills a huge position of need and it should not take long for him to take over as the team's go to WR. If this were basketball, this is a guy who would be on campus for one year, maybe two if you are lucky. In football, the Illini get to enjoy watching Regis for at least three years, maybe four if he really enjoys his stay. In any case, Benn has already enrolled at the U of I and will likely be the #1 wideout heading into this summer. Benn will make an immediate impact for the Illini and be one of the top freshman in the entire nation next season. Beyond his natural skill-set, Benn will greatly help star QB Isiah "Juice" Williams by being a reliable WR and also benefit the Illini in allowing guys like Kyle Hudson, Jacob Willis, Dajuan Warren, etc to be the role players that they are and not forcing them to be stars for the Illini to succeed. Benn's impact alone (and hopefully some better pass-blocking by the OL) should make the Illini a much more dangerous team on offense next season.

Anthony Morris
(Thornton Township HS)
Harvey,IL 6-3/200 11/09/2006

Morris is a fantastic athlete from Thornton High in Harvey, IL...a place where the Illini would like to establish a better pipeline in to. Morris will get a shot at WR due to the stone hands the current group of WR showed last season, but I expect Morris to make his mark with the Illini as a ball-hawking FS. He has great size for a FS and could be the best we've had at the position this decade. His experience at WR should only help his ability to track down the ball for INTs. I expect Morris to be starting by his true junior season, if not by his sophomore season when he'll likely be battling for the FS spot with Travon Bellamy.

Steve Matas
(Mentor HS)
Mentor,OH 6-5/255 10/17/2006

Matas is one of the least-heralded recruits the Illini will bring in this season, but his early offer shows how much the staff thinks of him. Matas could have a future at DE or on the offensive line. My guess is he ends up at the offensive line as the competition is going to be fierce on the DL for his entire Illini career (Walker, Pilcher, Antonio James, Rahkeem Smith, Jerry Brown, the incoming recruits, etc). That said, if guys like McCray, Wilson, etc end up going pro early...it would be a very nice luxury to have Matas waiting in the wings as a RS junior.

Craig Wilson
(Hargrave Military Academy)
Chatham,VA 6-5/300 08/15/2006

While Wilson will be a freshman in status, he'll be the age of a college sophomore after having to attend the Hargrave prep school when he failed to make the grades to get into Illinois as a high school senior last season. Wilson is an incredibly strong lineman and is regarded as one of the very elite OL in the prep school ranks this past season. Few freshmen have the body to compete in the trenches in college, but Wilson may have been able to last season...let alone with another added year of school and weight training. I'm going to assume Chuck Myles is going to graduate (to those who have spoken to him...amazingly enough) and will get another year of eligibility, but by no means is his job safe with Wilson on campus. In fact, the guards (I'm looking at you, Martin O'Donnell) had better improve or else we could see Akim Millington get moved inside if Wilson shows that he needs to be on the field this season. In either case, Wilson is probably already penciled into the 2-deep and will be a starter for the Illini by his true sophomore season at the latest.

Marcus Thomas
(Morgan Park HS)
Chicago,IL 5-11.5/160/4.50 08/05/2006

Nicknamed "Miami" because of his original home, Thomas is a promising CB for the Illini. He needs to put on some weight, but is fast and loves to hit (despite his small stature). I believe his tenacity on the field are great indicators of future success. I would be very surprised if he were able to beat out Bellamy, Dere Hicks, or Chris Duvalt for the starting CB spot opposite of Vontae Davis this season, but that group of players are going to have great battles for starting spots over the next few seasons. If Thomas were a year older, he'd probably be in the same shoes as Hicks and Duvalt this season...but since he's a year younger...he'll have some catching up to do. He very well could see the field, but it may be for the best that Miami take a redshirt this season unless the dreaded injury bug works its way from the Assembly Hall over to the Illini secondary next season.

Daryle Ballew
(Withrow HS)
Cincinnati,OH 6-3/285/5.40 07/07/2006

Ballew is overshadowed in this recruiting class due to being in the same class as Wilson, McCray, and Brent, but it's not because he isn't a solid player. Depth at the position should allow for him to redshirt this season to work on conditioning, but this is a guy who should start for the Illini around his RS junior or senior season and definitely be a part of the rotation in the years before.

Mike Garrity
(Batavia Sr HS)
Batavia,IL 6-6/270/5.00 06/29/2006

Garrity is a very good OT prospect who, like so many other solid players who in recent years would have been center-pieces of Illini recruiting classes, is overshadowed by higher-rated players like Craig Wilson and Jack Cornell. Garrity committed very early and those players tend to slide down the rankings a little bit as recruiting services try to increase revenue by pumping up non-committed players, but I do not believe there is much of a dropoff, if any from Cornell to Garrity. Garrity at the very worst will be a servicable backup for his career and I would imagine that he'd take a redshirt this season.

Nathan Bussey
(Dunbar HS)
Washington, DC6-2/203/4.45 09/25/2005

Bo Flowers

(Detroit Tigers)

Flowers is a walkon (whose tuition is being paid by the Detroit Tigers) and former 4-star prospect. He went the professional baseball route for a while and after spending some time in the minor leagues, has decided to come back to college to play football (straight to pro baseball out of high school). Flowers is an excellent addition because it's not often that you can add a guy who is a 23 year old freshman. He will have the body of an upperclassmen and the eligibility of a freshman. He will look for a place in the secondary, most likely at safety as Davis and Bellamy appear to have the corner spots lined up for the next three (or two) years.

Bussey was Regis Benn's HS QB and the Illini grabbing him definitely played a role in getting the stud WR to Champaign all the way from the nation's capital. That said, he wasn't a pity offer and has a future in the Illini's secondary. If the Illini do not pick up another QB in this class (after Clint Brewster elected to follow his dad to Minnesota), then Bussey may just get a shot at QB...if for no other reason than depth. Bussey's future at Illinois is not at QB, though, as he'll eventually make his way to the SS position. Bussey has good size and strength which makes his lack of offers from big time programs a little puzzling (especially those that were after Benn as well). He may not be an elite prospect, but he is pretty good. If he does start out immediately in the secondary, I'd expect him (like Purcell, Gamble, Robertson, Thomas, etc) to see the field on special teams as a freshman and then be part of the battle for Mitchell, Sanders, and Harrison's starting positions next season.

All in all, this class is going to land Illinois in the top 15 classes in the nation for this recruiting season. Local schools are up in arms over Zook's ability to come in and out-recruit them, despite the Illini's less than adequate record since their Sugar Bowl season in 2001. The sour grapes displayed by other coaching staffs that have even prompted letters to league officials and pleas for a national sportswriter to produce a spin article, criticizing the Illini. These schools realize that Illinois is every bit the sleeping giant that they feared. The one thing keeping Illinois from consistent top of the conferences finished in the Big 10 was the inability to keep the top athletes in the state home.

With Zook in charge, that has all changed. The Illini are not only locking down the Illinois borders to rivals who used to pillage the state for recruits, but are also using recruiting ties to Florida, Ohio, and the Maryland/DC area for recruits. Now that the Illini have brought in Eric Wolford to replace Ed Warriner on the offensinve line, they will soon have a recruiting presence on the west coast, especially in California. If the Illini could just get a solid connection into Texas, then they'd have the potential for a recruiting juggernaut (at least in the Big 10) if they can start putting some wins together with these talented players.

I'm as excited as I've ever been for Illini football. I've seen arguably the four worst years of Illini football in my stay in college, but I'm hoping that will all change this fall and the Illini can make a bowl game as a send-off party for me after my final semester. The only graduation present I will want this winter is an Illini bowl game.

For the first time in my collegiate career, that wish will not draw raucous laughter from my audience. Go Illini!