48. Craig Wilson How many Wilsons do we have?  Tavon, Martez, Craig, and Evan.  We’re also recruiting Tampa Jefferson linebacker Ramik Wilson for 2011, so we might add to that.  I see lots of Cast Away jokes in my future. Anyway, Craig Wilson, as of right now, is our third offensive tackle.  As I said [...]

56. Jay Prosch I know very, very little about Jay Prosch other than the story that Auburn tried to get involved the morning of signing day and he likes to hit people.  But every story I read about him reminds me of Russ Weil, so I’ve moved him up to #56.  We could use a [...]

64. Tim Kynard We haven’t seen it on the field yet, but I think the new defensive line looks like this:  When the bandit – the hybrid defensive end/linebacker position in Vic Koenning’s defense – has linebacker duties, we’re really a 3-4 defense with a nose guard.  When the bandit is a pure outside-rushing defensive [...]

72. Ben Mathis Who? Ben Mathis I know – who? Ben Mathis. Walkon safety. With Walt Aikens getting arrested, and Tommie Hopkins never recovering from the gunshot wound, and Garrett Edwards’ neck pushing him to early retirement, and Corey Cooper picking Nebraska on signing day, and Ashante Williams moving to linebacker, and Daniel Easterly switching [...]

Continuing our series on the 88 most important Illini football players this fall. (“Our” series? What am I, the Schmidt brothers?) Continuing my series. Mine. All me. 80. Spencer Harris Paul Petrino was recruiting Harris for Arkansas, but given their scholarship availability, hadn’t offered. When Petrino arrived in the Land Of Decommitments in December, there [...]