Catch up on this past week’s happenings with the Illinois football team, which held its media day and began practicing at Camp Rantoul in preparation for the September 4th season opener against Missouri, in my weekly Saturday Afternoon Gridiron Wrap.
WRITING ILLINI FOOTBALL NEWS
Since last weekend’s Gridiron Wrap, I broke down the Illinois receivers and offensive line, took a trip to Camp Rantoul, and assembled a list of former Illini vying for NFL roster spots.
ILLINI PLAYER NEWS
#2 Nathan Scheelhaase
With the Illini football opener approximately 3 weeks away, the intrigue with redshirt freshman starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is certainly growing, as evident by the proliferation of stories on him this week.
→ ILLINI QB SCHEELHAASE WISE BEYOND HIS YEARS
→ SIT DOWN WITH NATHAN SCHEELHAASE
→ ILLINI WILL LEAN ON NEW QB, COACHES
→ IT’S SAFETY FIRST FOR SCHEELHAASE
→ ILLINI’S HOPES REST ON 19-YEAR-OLD’S ARM
→ NATHAN SCHEELHAASE GROWS UP FAST FOR ILLINI
→ SCHEELHAASE GLAD HE WAITED TO BECOME ILLINI’S QUARTERBACK
→ SCHEELHAASE PERFORMS ON DAY ONE OF FALL PRACITCE
→ ILLINI QUARTERBACK SCHEELHAASE GROOMED FOR SUCCESS SINCE THE BEGINNING
→ FEEL DA PAIGN QB POSITION BREAKDOWN
#2 Martez Wilson
After missing most of 2009 with a herniated disc in his neck, junior linebacker Martez Wilson is back in action, with Illini fans hoping that the heralded recruit from Chicago’s Simeon High School will finally have a breakout season.
→ MARTEZ WILSON: CRUCIAL TO THE ILLINI DEFENSE
→ MARTEZ WILSON TALKING ILLINI DEFENSE
→ ILLINI’S WILSON BACK, PUMPED TO PRODUCE
→ MARTEZ WILSON BACK AT FULL SPEED FOR ILLINI
→ ILLINI MLB WILSON READY FOR SPOTLIGHT
→ ILLINOIS’ MARTEZ WILSON ITCHING TO HIT
#5 Mikel Leshoure
Anchoring an Illinois running game that figures to be one of the team’s strengths in 2010, junior running back and Centennial product Mikel Leshoure could have a breakout season.
→ SKINNY LESHOURE AND MORE ILLINI FOOTBALL NUGGETS
→ SIT DOWN WITH MIKEL LESHOURE
→ LESHOURE READY TO CARRY THE LOAD FOR ILLINI
→ FEEL DA PAIGN BREAKS DOWN LESHOURE AND THE ILLINI RUNNING GAME
#8 A.J. Jenkins
Junior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins decided to stay at Illinois after considering transferring following a difficult 2009 season, and the Illini offense is certainly better off with his presence.
→ A.J. JENKINS LOOKING LIKE ILLINOIS’ TOP RECEIVER
#10 Eddie McGee
Senior Eddie McGee has seen a lot during his time in Champaign and is being viewed as not only a leader during his last season but a versatile weapon who is making the official switch to wide receiver but still serving as an emergency backup quarterback to Scheelhaase.
→ ILLINI’S MCGEE ALL ABOUT THE TEAM
#19 Jack Ramsey
While fellow wide outs Jenkins, McGee and Jarred Fayson have gotten a lot of publicity, sophomore receiver Jack Ramsey (also from Simeon) has apparently gotten off to a good start at Camp Rantoul.
#41 Zach Becker
A walk-on at Illinois, junior Zach Becker is now listed as first on the Illini depth chart at fullback and tight end.
→ STEPPING, GINGERLY, BACK INTO THE FRAY
→ ZACK BECKER HOPING HIS FEET DON’T FAIL HIM THIS SEASON
#64 Nate Swanson
Learn about the progress of Illini mammoth Nate Swanson, a 6-8 offensive lineman who redshirted as a freshman in 2009.
→ BV GRADUATE SWANSON SET FOR YEAR 2 WITH ILLINOIS FOOTBALL TEAM
#97 Clay Nurse
Senior defensive lineman Clay Nurse is expected to be a leader on this side of the ball in 2010, and has certainly been talking the part thus far, specifically when defending Illini head coach Ron Zook.
→ ANGRY NURSE HAS RON ZOOK’S BACK
→ ILLINI’S NURSE NOT LOOKING BACK
ILLINI TEAM NEWS
After holding media day last Sunday at Memorial Stadium, the Illini head off to Camp Rantoul for practice. Here are some various status checks on the Illini football team.
→ MEET THE ILLINI FOOTBALL TEAM
→ ILLINI HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
→ OPTIMISTIC SKEPTICISM FOR ILLINI
→ TUPPER: ILLINI FACE ROCKY ROAD TO OPENER
→ ILLINI WILL TAKE CAUTIOUS APPROACH
→ ILLINI FOOTBALL PREVIEW: PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH
→ PROOF THAT EXPECTATIONS ARE AT A LOW FOR ILLINI FOOTBALL
CAMP RANTOUL
Despite the sweltering heat, the Illini have been working out the kinks at Camp Rantoul.
→ THOUGHTS GOING INTO CAMP RANTOUL
→ CAMP RANTOUL: WHAT TO EXPECT
→ 3 THINGS TO WATCH AT CAMP RANTOUL
→ ILLINI FOOTBALL PICKS UP TEMPO IN FIRST PRACTICE
→ ILLINI HEAD TO CAMP RANTOUL FOR SWELTERING PRACTICE HEAT
→ ILLINI THINK ONLY FOOTBALL AT CAMP RANTOUL
→ BOB’S BLITZ: DAY 1 FROM CAMP RANTOUL
→ HITTING BEGINS AT CAMP RANTOUL (COOL VIDEO)
→ CAMP RANTOUL: DAY 2 MORNING REPORT
→ CAMP RANTOUL: DAY 3 MORNING REPORT
ILLINI COACHING NEWS
Head Coach Ron Zook
If you haven’t heard by now, the pressure is on Illini head coach Ron Zook, who is coming off two disappointing seasons following a Rose Bowl appearance in 2007.
→ RON ZOOK ADMITS HE COULD BE ON HIS LAST LEG
→ ZOOK KNOWS THIS SEASON COULD BE HIS LAST, AND HIS OFFSEASON HIRES PROVE IT
→ RON ZOOK SPEAKS AFTER THURSDAY PRACTICE
→ RON ZOOK ON FRIDAY’S PRACTICE
→ RON ZOOK TALKS ABOUT MOVING PRACTICE TO AVOID THE HEAT
Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino
Coming from Arkansas after the 2009 season, offensive coordinator Paul Petrino has brought a pro-style offense to the Illini after years of the spread.
→ PAUL PETRINO: ‘TOUGH AS AN OLD WORK BOOT’
→ SCHEMES IN PLACE FOR ILLINI OFFENSE
→ ILLINI’S PETRINO IMPRESSED WITH FOUR FRESHMAN RECEIVERS
→ ILLINI PLANS TO FLIP THE LINE
Running Backs Coach DeAndre Smith
New running backs coach DeAndre Smith certainly inherited some talent at this position and talks about the progress of his troops thus far.
Defensive Coordinator Vic Koenning
Illinois’ silly co-defensive coordinator set-up is now a thing of the past, with Kansas State’s Vic Koenning taking over the helm of the Illinois defense and secondary.
→ KOENNING TEACHING ILLINI DEFENSE
FORMER ILLINI PLAYER NEWS
Arrelious Benn
The reports on former Illini receiver and 2010 second round draft pick Arrelious Benn have been mixed out of the Tampa Bay Bucs’ training camp. Whatever the case, Benn will play in his first preseason game tonight, getting matched up against former Illini teammate Vontae Davis, a second-year cornerback for the Miami Dolphins. The game is at 6 p.m. central on the NFL Network.
→ STOVALL STARTING IN TAMP AS BENN STRUGGLES
Michael Hoomanawanui
Former Illini tight end Michael Hoomanawanui is trying to stick with the St. Louis Rams after getting drafted by the team later in April’s NFL Draft. Hoomanawanui and the Rams will take on the visiting Minnesota Vikings at 7 p.m. tonight.
→ ILLINI TIGHT TEND TRYING TO CATCH ON WITH RAMS
RECRUITING NEWS
It was a quiet week on the Illini recruiting front after receiving commitments from a handful of prospects in the previous two weeks or so.
→ ILLINI RECRUITS DURKIN, O’CONNOR WILL ANCHOR ANDREW
CONFERENCE/SCHEDULING/OTHER COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
Stay updated on Michigan’s troubles with the NCAA, get an early preview of Missouri (Illinois’ first opponent on September 4th) and catch up with other Big Ten college football news from the past week.
→ WRIGLEY TO PROVIDE UNIQUE SETTING FOR ILLINI, WILDCATS
→ ANN ARBOR DOT COM: TEAM-BY-TEAM BIG TEN NOTES
→ AS BIELEMA BEGINS HIS FIFTH SEASON, HIS EXPERIENCE YIELDS PERSPECTIVE
→ SWAN SONG: LAST YEAR FOR 11-TEAM BIG TEN
→ FSU’S JIMBO FISHER CAN BE A TRUE SUCCESSOR