But after that, well, CFN and Bob are wrong, and I’m right. Unquestionably.

#10 Michael Hoomanawanui – Yes, I spelled it right without looking it up. I have three goals for Hoo-man, who should flourish under the take-care-of-the-ball playcalling of MIke Schultz: 1) Catch 48 balls, 7 of them touchdowns. 2) Show the NFL scouts he not only has great hands, but can also devastatingly finish a block, and 3) Convince CJ Fiedorowicz that a tight end can dominate in our spread option offense.

#9 Mikel LeShoure – I’m fully convinced that LeShoure can be our feature tailback this fall. The next in a long history of Illinois athletes wearing #5 who break their jaw, lose some weight, and dominate upon their return, the leaner, meaner LeShoure looked nothing short of fantastic both on film and in person. I like having a go-to guy in the backfield (as opposed to tailback by committee), and this fall, I’m a Mikel Man.

#8 Tavon Wilson – It was tough putting a second-year cornerback with zero starts on his resume here in the eight hole. Thinking about it, he should probably be in the top 5. All he has to do is replace the #25 pick from this spring’s NFL draft, become a shut-down corner from start #1, and lead the secondary in tackles like his predecessor.  Oh, and intercept a few balls, break up a few more, and cover the other team’s speediest receiver.  No pressure.

#7 Ian Thomas – If there’s on position where Illini fans are worried, it’s linebacker. Putting aside the Martez in the Middle concerns for a second, one thing is certain: we MUST find at least one other capable linebacker from a crop of not-so-highly recruited no-names.  And that no-name has a name: Ian Thomas.  Was the supposed “sleeper” recruit of the class of 2007, it’s now his turn to step it up.  In an era where strongside linebackers are more safety that linebacker, we’ll need Thomas flying all over the field. Here’s hoping he’s up to the task, because behind him is, well, um, lemme get back to you.

#6 Jeff Allen – I watched him for one entire set of downs in the Spring Game.  And he absolutely ate Antonio James for lunch.  I felt like I was watching a high school highlight tape where a tackle prospect manhandles his opponents.  He just looked awesome.  Yes, he’s young.  But he’s also coming off a few freshman All-American teams.  With Body By Lou and improved technique, I see no reason he can’t be an NFL tackle some day.  Whereas Xavier Fulton looked bulky and awkward out there at times, Jeff Allen just looks smooth. I could change my life to better suit his mood.

#5 Donsay Hardeman – The most important body part on the 2009 Illini? Donsay Hardeman’s fused neck vertebrae.  If he can play injury free and hit like he used to, then we’re in for a treat.  If it’s still an issue through the season – or, more likely, if he can’t go all out over the middle for fear of permanent injury – then we’re in for a long season. He’s a vital part to our secondary. Like “add one or two more losses if he can’t go” vital.

#4 Corey Liuget – I covered Mr. Luiget on Friday, so I’ll just say this: If he has the type of year he’s capable of, he can easily start showing up on preseason All American lists next fall. Speaking of preseason All American lists…

#3 Arrelious Benn – I struggled with ranking the top 3. It’s clear that for our 2009 football team to succeed, the big three of Benn, Wilson, and Williams (omigosh – sorry about the spoilers) has to produce. The only question is the order. So my thinking was this: If Juice doesn’t produce, our offense is doomed. And if Tez can’t imitate J or Brit, our D is toast.  So therefore, I’m ranking our best player third.  Best player? Yes, by a country mile.  I was excited to see Vontae stay in the first round back in April.  Because juniors-going-in-the-first-round will be a great selling point for Zook in the years to come. “Well, we had Mendenhall go early in the 2008 draft, and Davis in 2009, and Benn in ’10, plus Liuget in ’11, and Hawthorne in ’12…”

#2 Martez Wilson – It’s worth noting here before we go any further.  The three most publicized recruits of the first 5 years of the Zook era? Benn, Wilson, and Williams. Our three best players and the key to our season this fall? Benn, Wilson, and Williams.  For Tez, it’s as simple as this: He’s top-10 in all of college football in athletic ability.  He’s the dream that Loren Tate has had every August since the 70′s – the player with the best ratio of biggest/strongest/fastest in the Big Ten is wearing Orange and Blue.  Now he has to put it all together. No more watching the running back on the delayed handoff and thinking “wow, I should really go tackle him” before putting his feet in motion.  Read, react, tackle.  And get paid millions if you can do it well.

#1 Juice Williams – I plan on putting together these lists for the next 50 years (including the 2027 National Championship season!). And I don’t think I’ll ever have an easier call ranking the #1 player. He was an Elite 11 QB as a high school senior. We watched him fail miserably as a true frosh, gain first down after first down at Ohio State in 2007, and go from red hot to ice cold in 2008.  So now his legacy comes down to this.  The schedule is favorable.  He might have 3 NFL wideouts to throw to. He knows the offense inside and out. He has to possibility of finishing his Illinois career as the Big Ten career leader in total offense.

Now go do it.

#20 Ryan Palmer – Appeared to win back his starting right tackle job.  Except this time he didn’t beat out Jeff Allen – he beat Corey Lewis. Right now he’s the third tackle of a three-deep tackle depth chart, which means he’s probably the backup on both the left and right sides.  Craig Wilson appears to be a distant fourth, which means Lewis will be very valuable next season.  Wait, we’re talking about Palmer.  Um, solid feet, solid motor. Overall, solid Big Ten tackle.

#19 Jason Ford – I was really, really excited about Ford last year after the Indiana game.  But as the next 5 games proved, it was the Indiana game.  His great hops made him an asset in goal line situations. But he seemed to slowly disappear the rest of the season, often hesitating once he found the corner, waiting for a hole to develop.  Here’s hoping his new-found aggression this spring carries over onto the field this fall.

#18 Doug Pilcher – I might like Bob’s placement (#8) better than my own.  Because with each Jerry Brown grade card and Josh Brent police report, Pilch becomes more and more important. He needs to have a huge senior season, both in leadership and in sacks.

#17 Matt Eller – As worried as I am about the punting situation this fall, I’m just as confident about the kicking game. (Well, that’s not entirely true. Anthony Santella is the holder this fall.) Eller seemed to make every 40+ yard kick last year, and only really struggled in tight with tough angles from the college hash marks.  The kid seems to have some swagger, so I feel good about him kicking the ball the next three autumns.

#16 Garrett Edwards – I’m the only Garrett Edwards fan I know. Yes, I know, he struggled with his tackling angles. Yes, I know he sometimes looked lost out there.  Yes, I know, Zook personally called him off the field in the Ohio State game after a blown zone assignment.  But sophomores are sophomores.  With a year under his belt, I’m expecting Edwards to be the rangy, athletic safety that Illinois football has always been lacking.

#15 Anthony Santella – Why #15?  Because if he kicks like he did last year, saving his shanks for the really important punts, we’re in big trouble.  Like, could-lose-two-games-just-because-of-our-punter trouble. He simply HAS to mature to the point where he is confident he can make the big kick.  He’ll boom eight consecutive 45+ yarders in warm-ups… and then angle a 29 yarder towards the near sideline the first punt of the game.

#14 Josh Brent – Should be leaving jail right… about… now.  Our boy Bob needs to do what every great hometown beat writer does – write a puff piece about how much the jail stay changed Brent, and how he’s a new man.  Because we really, really, really need him on the field against Missouri.  Simply put, Liuget and Brent can be a top-5 tackle tandem.  Not in the Big Ten – in the country ((dramatic music)).

#13 Dere Hicks – Needs to do what third-year starting cornerbacks do: make us say “Wow, that was Dere Hicks that made that play? Where has THAT been the past few seasons?” He knows the D, he’s seen every scenario – now go out and find a spot on the second team All Big 10.

#12 Jon Asamoah – I’ve been a huge Asamoah fan since the Penn State game in 2007.  I was breaking down game film (yes, I “break down game film” by watching internet highlights at least a dozen times, spot shadowing each player) and Asamoah put an absolutely devastating block on Sean Lee 10 yards downfield to spring Rashard Mendenhall for an additional 15 yards.  “A guard who can pull like that as a sophomore” I said to myself? “He should be first team All Big 10 as a senior.” Well, Phil Steele has him on the second team, so we’re close.

#11 Jarred Fayson – I can’t remember being this excited to see an Illinois player take the field.  I remember being giddy about Eric Jefferson in 1996, but he never played a down.  Maybe Rashard. I couldn’t wait to see all his supposed speed + power.  But a bona fide 5-star wideout from Florida that we can pair with our bona fide off-to-the-NFL-soon receiver to catch passes from our 4th-year starting QB? Pinch me. When Fayson drops back to return a punt in the Missouri game, I might pee a little bit.  TMI, I know.  But TWO FIVE STAR RECEIVERS!! Wearing ORANGE AND BLUE!!!

This bothers me a little too much.  Which is why that little list over there shows 84.6% of my posts have been football related.  June is a time for figuring out depth charts.  And I expect more out of our local beat writer.  Which is why I’m here to prove Bob wrong. To wit:

#30 Jeff Cumberland – He’s a senior who needs to do senior-y things. He needs to watch some game film of Northwestern’s Eric Peterman last year and do everything he did: Burst out in his senior year to catch 60 balls, 12+ per catch, with 6 TDs.  I keep waiting for 2007 Northwestern Game Jeff Cumberland to show up again.  Hopefully we see him in St. Louis in 81 days.

#29 Sirod Williams – Move this huge dude up 15 spots if Josh Brent is suspended the first few games.  Maybe his season-ending injury at Camp Rantoul last year was a blessing in disguise, because he could be the single key to beating Missouri if  Brent is out.  Sirod is the strongest guy on the team, holding several Illini weightlifting records. Here’s hoping that strength clogs up the middle against Derrick Washington and Mizzou.

#28 Tad Keely - There I was, thinking I was all hip when I put this list together. I was going to put Keely here at #28 and then berate Bob for not including the all-important long-snapper in his list of top-50.  And then Bob put him at #33.

#27 Russell Ellington – When I do a postseason list, the players that will move around the most, both up and down, will be the linebackers.  I’m pretty certain that Martez Wilson and Ian Thomas are set as two of the starters, but after that, anyone’s guess.  By placing Ellington here, I’m guessing that he’s the clubhouse leader to start at WLB.

#26 Randall Hunt – I’m pleased with Hunt winning a starting job because he’s on the trajectory I want nearly every offensive lineman to be on.  Arrive on campus, redshirt, do nothing but lift weights and eat for three years, and then win a starting spot as a redshirt junior.  Here’s hoping he pulls better than Eric Block.

#25 Miami Thomas – I hope he’s 100% after shoulder and knee surgeries.  Because I love Miami Thomas.  He’s the single reason we beat Ohio State in 2007, breaking up a pass in the endzone (Antonio Steele’s interception) and picking off another pass (leading to our 8-minute drive).  He also made a fantastic play at the goalline in the Rose Bowl but was called for pass-interference.  He’s aggressive, and I DIG THAT about cornerbacks.

#24 Daniel Dufrene – As I’ve said before, after this spring, I’m a LeShoure guy.  He looked fantastic at his new weight.  But I’d still love it if DD won the starting job and rushed for 1,100 yards.  Seniors >>>>>>> sophomores in nearly every scenario.  But, to do this, Dufrene HAS to show he can hang on to the ball.  His fumble to open the second half against Minnesota was an absolute killer, both to our season and his psyche. That said, I love his burst, and would love to see him have a huge senior year.

#23 AJ Jenkins – In two years, after Benn is all-world in 2009 and Fayson is all-world in 2010, I think AJ Jenkins is our leading receiver.  Terry Hawthorne and (hopefully) Kyle Prater will likely grab all of the headlines that year, but I think Jenkins will catch the most balls.  In fact, I’m expecting him to finish 3rd on the team in receptions this year (and return one kickoff to the house just for fun).

#22 Eric Block – I was not. a. fan. of him at guard last year.  Maybe it was unfair that he had to follow Martin O’Donnell, but Block just flat-out sucked at pulling.  And with a spread option offense, you HAVE to be able to block out in space.  So, I’m cautiously optimistic about Block at center.  Less pulling, more “just eliminate the nose guard”.

#21 Antonio James – Who? Exactly.  James has been under the radar for the last few years (he’s #90, by the way).  But he just might be our starting weakside defensive end.  Which means he’s really important this fall. 21st-most important, to be exact.

The next few updates in this series should be really good.  I worked very, very hard on my top-20.  Here’s hoping Bob screwed his up so I can look smart. Again.

#40 Troy Pollard – I’ve been impressed with Pollard every time he finds the field… which hasn’t been very often.  So either he’s a bad practice guy who never does enough to earn playing time, or he’s still fighting his injuries. He’s hoping it’s the second, and that he’s 100%. ‘Cause we could use a scatback.

#39 Corey Lewis – I might like Bob’s placement (#30) better than mine if he fights past Ryan Palmer for a starting job. But after a winter where everyone was saying that Lewis was our starting left tackle for the next three years, new OL coach Joe Gilber arrived and A) moved Jeff Allen to left tackle, and B) gave Ryan Palmer the starting spot on the right side coming out of the spring. If those two lock down those spots, we might not see Lewis until he’s a senior.

#38 Eddie McGee – Move him higher if Jenkins and Duvalt struggle and Eddie steals some slot receiver minutes.  Move him higher if something happens to Juice and Eddie steps in as the starting QB. But keep him right here if neither of those two things happen.  Which I’m hoping will be the case.

#37 Travon Bellamy – A fairly big disappointment at safety last year.  Bellamy looked very promising in 2006 (especially his pick-six at Wisconsin that made it a game).  He missed 2007 with an injury, and then moved into the starting spot at free safety in 2008 and… flopped.  Here’s hoping his move back to cornerback brings us some more pick-sixes.

#36 Clay Nurse – I’m probably fooled by the fact that he’s a pass rushing defensive end wearing #97 in orange and blue, and I love all pass rushing defensive ends wearing #97 in orange and blue. But I’m really looking for Nurse to be Will Davis, circa 2007.  Unknown at the beginning of the year, and then the reputation as our best pass rusher by October.

#35 Terry Hawthorne – I’ll say it again. We’ll look back on the decade of the 2000′s (is there a name yet? The aughts?) and list the following players as our top 3 recruits: 1. Rashard Mendenhall, 2. Arrelious Benn, 3. Terry Hawthorne.  We’ll only see flashes this year – 17 yards-after-catch here, 49-yard kickoff return there – but I think his future is just as bright as Benn’s.

#34 Hubie Graham – From what little you could see in the scrimmages and the spring game, it appears that Mike Schultz wants to use the tight ends more, both in the running game and the passing game.  Many formations had an H-back next to the tight end, something you didn’t see with Locksley.  I think that means more minutes for Hubie.  He had offers from everywhere from Michigan to UCLA – he’s hoping some of that athleticism begins to show, because he’s a huge part of our 2010 and 2011 teams.

#33 Bo Flowers – This ranking is based solely on his importance to the team (especially if Hardeman can’t return from his neck injury) and not on observed talent.  Because I’ve never been high on Flowers.  Takes bad angles.  Never wraps up.  Gets caught out of position often.  I could say I’m hoping for a junior year improvement from him, but the dude’s in his mid-20′s now, so…

#32 Zach Becker – Under Hubie Graham I mentioned how we seem to have an H-back set now (and no real fullback sets).  Well, I think Becker is that H-back.  To me, this means we’d rather him block from the wing than from a spot behind the QB.  And we’ll throw to him 12 times next year.  And he’ll be good at both.

#31 Jerry Brown – I keep wincing, hoping to not read a “Brown will be at Parkland for a semester as he hopes to get his grades back in order” headline.  But I think it’s coming.  Which is too bad – he treated Ryan Palmer like a toy in the Spring Game.

More to come in 10 days, when Asmussen picks walkon safety Kevin Johnson as our 21st most important player.

Without further ado:

#50 Justin Green – Freshman running back from Louisville who’s the speediest speedster in all of Speedville.  He’s probably way too thin to find the field this fall, but if he does, check out his Kentucky-state-title-in-the-100-meters speed.

#49 Cordale Scott – Although I still want him at linebacker, he’s too valuable an athlete to not find the field.  He certainly looks the part.  He looked downright Jeff Cumberland-y lined up on the outside in the spring game.

#48 Nate Bussey – Mostly completely lost at safety last year, he’s now moved to outside linebacker.  Hopefully, this “see the guy with the ball? Go get him” change pays off.

#47 Chris Duvalt – Coming out of last year’s spring game, I might have put Duvalt at #15.  And at halftime of the EIU game, when he had 3 TDs in our first 6 quarters of football, I might have even moved him higher.  Then the last 10 games happened.  Gotta work on those hands, Duvey.

#46 Supo Sanni – I went into the spring wanting him to steal the starting free safety spot.  But in the second scrimmage and the spring game, he still looked lost out there.  He’s another looker (tall, strong, fast), but needs seasoning. I hope to see him make his mark on special teams.

#45 Graham Pocic – He’s probably the first guard off the bench.  And I’d like to see him push Randall Hunt for the starting left guard spot.  He might even spell Block at center. And what the hell – we need a holder, too.

#44 Justin Staples – What I WANT is for him to nail down the starting WLB position.  What I THINK is he’ll back up at all three linebacker positions as he learns his way around.  And he’ll probably eventually settle on the outside.

#43 Jack Ramsey – Watching the WR video this spring, I was very impressed by his footwork.  Seems to be waterbug-y, which will pay dividends both at wideout and on kick returns.  I like him to understudy Jarred Fayson for two years and then burst onto the scene in 2011.

#42 Patrick Nixon-Youman – Surprised me by returning from Academic Casualty Land (seriously, who ever comes back after a “he’s headed back home this semester to get his grades straightened out” report?) with an extra name and a chip on his shoulder. Hopefully he’ll get some minutes backing up our corners.

#41 Rahkeem Smith – What a long strange trip. From 2-star high school linebacker to 4-star military prep school linebacker to sophomore starting fullback in the Rose Bowl to senior backup defensive tackle.  Can he punt?

I’ll try to update this each time Bob tosses out another 10 gems. And seriously Bob – true freshman linebacker Eric Watts at #50? Really??