University of Illinois Fighting Illini Football Preview - 2008 Season

The University of Illinois Fighting Illini Football team had a great 2007 campaign finishing with a 9-4 record (6-2 in the Big Ten) and a loss to USC in the Rose Bowl. While they were clearly overmatched in the Rose Bowl, the Fighting Illini hope to be able to build on last year's success.

The Fighting Illini were able to pull off big wins at home against Wisconsin and Penn State. But, no win was bigger than knocking off then #1 in the nation Ohio State Buckeyes at Columbus, Ohio. That was a season defining game for Illini Football.

None of the losses for Illini Football were devastating. The Iowa loss hurt, but losses to Michigan, Missouri and USC are nothing to be ashamed of. Sure, USC clobbered the Fighting Illini in the Rose Bowl, but no one thought they would make it that far to begin with. It appears that we finally saw Ron Zook's coaching ability catch up with his recruiting. That's great news for University of Illinois Fighting Illini Football.

Quarterback

Junior Juice Williams and Sophomore Eddie McGee will team to be one of the best quarterback duos in the nation. McGee will be very capable to sub for Williams if he gets injured or needs a breather.

Williams passed for 1,743 yards and 13 touchdowns, to go with 755 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. He made big strides from his freshman to sophomore seasons and looks to continue the improvement into his junior year. His passing game was crisper and his decision-making much improved for the Fighting Illini.

Freshman Jacob Charest was highly touted in high school, but should be able to redshirt his freshman year behind Williams and McGee.

Running Back

Replacing the production of new Pittsburgh Steeler Mendenhall will be the biggest challenge for Illini Football this year. Junior Daniel Dufrene, true freshmen Jason Ford and Mikel Leshoure, and redshirt freshman Troy Pollard will likely battle to replace Mendenhall's carries and production. Dufrene has shown glimpses of his talent, but it remains to be seen if he can do it on a consistent basis.

Another large loss for the Fighting Illini is unsung fullback Russ Weil. He paved the way for Mendenhall during many of his runs inside. Junior Rakheem Smith will inherit the position. At 6-1 and 250 pounds, he has the size to get the job done. Redshirt freshman Darius Purcell will likely be the backup at fullback.

Wide Receiver

The receiving corps should be one of the strongest assets for Illini Football. Sophomore Arrelious Benn had an unbelievable freshman year not only receiving, but also returning kicks and running the ball. Benn collected 676 receiving yards last year by using both his speed and his toughness. He can burn the cornerback down the sideline or can catch the ball and take the hit over the middle.

Junior Jeff Cumberland also came into his own last year after a switch from tight end to wide receiver. With his 6-5 size, Cumberland should be able to continue taking advantage of smaller cornerbacks inside and outside of the Big Ten.

With Kyle Hudson leaving the team to pursue professional baseball, Sophomores Brian Gamble and Chris James, and Junior Chris Duvalt figure see plenty of time on the field at wide receiver for the Fighting Illini.

Tight End

Junior Michael Hoomanawanui will be the starter at tight end for the Fighting Illini. Hoomanawanui is a monster at 6-5 and 265 pounds. With Cumberland's switch to receiver, he'll have an opportunity to show his talent this season. True freshmen Hubie Graham and London Davis will probably be fighting to back up Hoomanawanui for the Fighting Illini.

Offensive Line

Even though they lose Martin O'Donnell and Akim Millington to graduation, the Illini offensive line should be strong. The starters are projected to be senior LT Xavier Fulton, sophomore LG Randall Hunt, senior C Ryan McDonald, junior RG Jon Asamoah, and sophomore RT Ryan Palmer. Fulton, McDonald, and Asamoah are all returning starters.

Redshirt freshmen tackles Graham Pocic and Mark Jackson, redshirt freshmen guards Jeff Allen and Jack Cornell, and senior center Erick Block will help spell the starters when necessary. Other than Block, this is a young group, but also a very talented group. They may have some growing pains, but will grow up to become the pieces of the next great offensive line for Illini Football.

Defensive Line

The defensive line may be the deepest and most talented unit on this year's Fighting Illini team. Junior Doug Pilcher (5.5 sacks) or senior Derek Walker will start at one end. Will Davis (9.5 sacks) will start at the other end. Sophomore Jerry Brown and junior Antonio James will help back up the defensive ends for the Fighting Illini.

The starters at defensive tackle should be sophomore Josh Brent and senior David Lindquist. Backing them up will be redshirt freshman D'Angelo McCray, senior Sirod Williams, redshirt freshman Daryle Ballew. McCray was a very highly touted high school player, but at the time of this writing, there is some question whether he will be on the Fighting Illini team this year.

True freshman Corey Liuget has a ton of talent and may figure into the plans as well.

Linebackers

The Fighting Illini will really miss J Leman's play and leadership. Senior Brit Miller will move inside to replace Leman and provide senior leadership to the defense. Athletic phenom sophomore Martez Wilson and senior Rodney Pittman will most likely be the starters on the outside. After part-time duty last year Wilson will get a chance to show his considerable skills and freakish athleticism.

Senior Sam Carson, sophomore Dustin Jefferson, and redshirt freshman Ian Thomas will back up the starting three and will see quite a bit of playing time as well.

Secondary

The two starting cornerbacks for the Fighting Illini return in Juniors Vontae Davis and Dere Hicks. Hicks is a very good cornerback in his own right, but Davis is on another level. Davis was an All-Big Ten performer last year and is on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes out annually to the nation's best defensive back. Redshirt freshman Ashante Williams and sophomore Miami Thomas will back up the two returning starters.

The cornerback situation is the good news for Illini Football. The situation at safety is not. The two safety spots have been vacated by the graduation of Kevin Mitchell and Justin Harrison. Those two safeties were very solid for the Fighting Illini last year. The Fighting Illini will need to two capable replacements from the group of sophomore Travon Bellamy, junior college transfer Donsay Hardeman, and sophomores Bo Flowers, Garrett Edwards, and Nate Bussey All five will get a chance to impress and win the starting jobs.

Special Teams

Sophomore punter Anthony Santella returns for the Fighting Illini. However, kicker Jason Reda will have to be replaced. It appears that true freshman Derek Dimke will have the upper hand in that battle.

The return game will be very exciting to watch this year. It looks like Benn will be the primary kick returner and Davis the punt returner. Both can strike at any moment.

Recruiting

Coach Zook's recruiting has helped transform the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Football Program back into a national powerhouse. Players like Wilson, Benn, and Williams were recruiting coups that have paid very large dividends.

The 2008 class continues the strong recruiting trend that Zook has established. Liuget and Graham are players who can have impacts very early in their Fighting Illini careers. Many more players in the class have the talent to be strong contributors during their Fighting Illini tenures.

The Fighting Illini also have a strong start to the 2009 recruiting class with verbal commitments from quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, wide receiver Steve Hull, defensive lineman Lendell Buckner, and offensive lineman Leon Hill.

Projections for Upcoming Season

The Illini lose some key players including linebacker Leman, guard O'Donnell and first round NFL running back Mendenhall. But, Coach Zook's recruiting has Illini Football stacked with athletic replacements.

For the second time in as many years, Illini Football will begin the season in a huge game at St. Louis against the highly-ranked Missouri Tigers on August 30^th. This game will set the tone for the season and give the Fighting Illini a chance to see how they stack up against the nation's best teams this season.

In addition to the Missouri game, the Fighting Illini play Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin on the road, and Ohio State at home. It's not a favorable schedule to say the least. A win versus Missouri in the opener will give Illini Football a chance to start the season in the right direction. It may be optimistic, but if the Fighting Illini can win three of those five games and can take care of business in the other games on the schedule, they could be looking at a 10-2 record and another major bowl game. Ron Zook's coaching and recruiting should have the Fighting Illini in the national spotlight for the foreseeable future.

Sources:
ESPN
InsideIllini.com