homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
Key anticipated personnel losses from last year:
Juice (QB) - starter
Benn (WR) - starter
Hoomanawanui (TE) - starter
Asamoah (OT) - starter
Block (C) - starter
Pilcher (DE) - starter
Hicks (CB) - starter
Duvalt (WR) - starter
Cumberland (WR) - top backup WR
Hardeman (S) - starter [career ending injury]
"Surprise" personnel losses SINCE last year:
Lewis (starting OT) - ACL
Aikens (starting S) - booted due to criminal behavior
Brent (starting DT) - grades
Edwards (starter and/or top backup at S) - left team
Graham (top backup TE) - left team
Scott (backup WR, highly touted recruit) - left team
Charest (top backup QB) - left team
Synopsis -
In addition to all the personnel losses, they squad also contended with MASSIVE turnover with the assistant coaches too. We're talking about all new coordinators, new QB and TE coaches, plus 2 other new guys on the staff. That's a BIG change!
Another word is that it sounds like the coordinators are throwing A TON at the Illinois squad. Whenever you're teaching new schemes and you throw too much at your guys ... that can often be a recipe for disaster. Of course, the coordinators are both VERY proven at their respective spots ... and they're proven teachers. So I'm actually inclined to believe that they know what they're doing. However, on the flip side, they probably also know that they only have 2 years to turn around the program "or else" ... so that also only gives them a limited amount of time to establish their respective systems.
Two of the few "rays of light" to offset some of the attrition is that the Illini get Martez Wilson and Miami Thomas back.
Anyhow, I look for the loss of Brent at DT and the all the losses at safety to end up really hurting the Illini D. When you consider that the D should be in pretty bad shape AND that the O is forced to start a RS FR ... DO NOT expect the Illini to have a winning season in 2010. The bigger question is whether or not the performance of the squad will be good enough for the assistant coaches to finish up their 2-year contracts.
Juice (QB) - starter
Benn (WR) - starter
Hoomanawanui (TE) - starter
Asamoah (OT) - starter
Block (C) - starter
Pilcher (DE) - starter
Hicks (CB) - starter
Duvalt (WR) - starter
Cumberland (WR) - top backup WR
Hardeman (S) - starter [career ending injury]
"Surprise" personnel losses SINCE last year:
Lewis (starting OT) - ACL
Aikens (starting S) - booted due to criminal behavior
Brent (starting DT) - grades
Edwards (starter and/or top backup at S) - left team
Graham (top backup TE) - left team
Scott (backup WR, highly touted recruit) - left team
Charest (top backup QB) - left team
Synopsis -
In addition to all the personnel losses, they squad also contended with MASSIVE turnover with the assistant coaches too. We're talking about all new coordinators, new QB and TE coaches, plus 2 other new guys on the staff. That's a BIG change!
Another word is that it sounds like the coordinators are throwing A TON at the Illinois squad. Whenever you're teaching new schemes and you throw too much at your guys ... that can often be a recipe for disaster. Of course, the coordinators are both VERY proven at their respective spots ... and they're proven teachers. So I'm actually inclined to believe that they know what they're doing. However, on the flip side, they probably also know that they only have 2 years to turn around the program "or else" ... so that also only gives them a limited amount of time to establish their respective systems.
Two of the few "rays of light" to offset some of the attrition is that the Illini get Martez Wilson and Miami Thomas back.
Anyhow, I look for the loss of Brent at DT and the all the losses at safety to end up really hurting the Illini D. When you consider that the D should be in pretty bad shape AND that the O is forced to start a RS FR ... DO NOT expect the Illini to have a winning season in 2010. The bigger question is whether or not the performance of the squad will be good enough for the assistant coaches to finish up their 2-year contracts.