The Ron Zook “Reign of Terror” is over, and a new era Beck-ons in Champaign. We are just a little over a week away from the opening of the Illinois football season, so let’s talk about what to expect.

We are all very excited to have a new head coach in charge, and Tim Beckman certainly has the energy and devotion to make it work. However, there is still a coaching transition, so let’s keep these expectation in check, shall we?

Things to Smile About

On the plus side, this is the first time we’ve gone into a season after back-to-back winning seasons in 1989 and 1990. Also, we are the only Big Ten team to have won two bowl games in a row.

Yes, I know those bowl games were the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and the Texas Bowl – but bowls are bowls and wins are wins, right? This means we have talent, and now perhaps we’ve got someone to harness that talent.

Some key guys coming back are QB Nathan Scheelhaase, LB Jonathan Brown and CB Terry Hawthorne. Scheelhaase had a bit of a tough year last year (well, most players did aside from Whitney Mercilus), but a junior quarterback is always a nice thing to have. Brown also had a strong year, and now he’s going to have to work even harder to step into those Mercilus shoes. In all 16 starters are coming back (7 offense, 8 defense).

Miles Osei is going to be doing everything except tossing cheerleaders on the sidelines, and sources are saying that our most improved area is on the special teams. There is even a competition for kicker.

Coach Tim Beckman; Photo by Cary Frye

In addition to Becks at the helm, we’ve got a great supporting cast in guys like Billy Gonzalez and football royalty Luke Butkus. Not to mention that there is no one around to call bad plays or forget how much time is on the clock (ahem Zook). There has always been a lot of hush hush talk about the way the players really feel about Zook, but now that he’s gone more people have been opening up.

A former Illini with a Super Bowl ring who shall remain nameless (hint: last name starts with weather and ends with a type of car made in the U.S. that rhymes with Lord) pretty much openly called Zook an asshole on the radio.

Perhaps Beckman and his staff can keep the talent calm and in check so they can do what they are supposed to do.

Things to Worry About

On the negative side, we lost the last six games of the season last year. The fact that they rallied to win the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against UCLA might’ve been an indication that Coach Ron Zook was the problem (he was fired weeks before the game), but then again the interim coach that led them to the win – Vic Koenning – has also jumped ship when he wasn’t given any credit or a real offer to stay.

Also, we’ve lost Mercilus, and top receiver A.J. Jenkins. You know who we’re not going to miss? Mr. Jason run-down-the-center-two-inches-at-a-time-Ford.

Last year it was offense that was the problem, with the defense carrying the team most of the time.

Our biggest issue this season might be depth, especially on offense. There isn’t a lot of depth at WR, but there is some talent, starting with Jon Davis. Donovonn Young should be fine at RB, but not sure who else will be there. The new system is supposed to take care of the depth issues, but guys are going to get tired, and injured.

One of the keys to the transition is that the returning guys need to buy into Coach Beckman’s new system, and according to the rumors this is what’s happening. However, we’re not really going to see if this is happening until they get onto the field starting Sept. 1.

A Look at the Season

That first game against Western Michigan is going to tell us a whole lot. It’s a much different start than we’re used to of late, as our contract with Missouri has FINALLY run out. That means no more guaranteed loss in game one anymore! While Western Michigan is a much easier opponent, it is by no means a cake walk. It is a team that a talented Illini should beat, but we are an unsure football squad that has a lot to prove. If they win against Western Michigan, then that will set the tone for the season, which could be another winner.

Up next is Arizona State on Sept. 8, which could also go either way. They’re giant QB Brock Osweiler has gone to the NFL, and scary bully Vontaze Burfict is also out of the picture. However, it’s a road game against a Pac Ten opponent, so it could be a rough stretch. A win against WMU could give the Illini the confidence to beat the Sun Devils as well.

After that, we’ve got two easy wins at home with Charleston Southern (Sept. 15) and Louisiana Tech (Sept. 22). It is impossible to believe Penn State (Sept. 29) will have a chance at doing anything this year, but Bill O’Brien has coached a Super Bowl team and Tom Brady, which he reminds us often. This could be another, giving us the potential to start off 5-0. But then things take a bit of a turn.

Out with the Zook and in with the Beckman.

Go ahead and check the next two games at Wisconsin (Oct. 6) then at Michigan (Oct. 13) as losses, and then the Illini return home, rest for a week, and then beat up and embarrass Indiana (Oct. 27) and Kevin Wilson at home. We’ll get another loss at Ohio State (Nov. 3), and then things get interesting again.

Minnesota at home (Nov. 10) is certainly winable, which could secure the team’s 7th win. Then Purdue the next weekend on Nov. 17 could also give the Illini another W no the board. Rounding out the season is Northwestern in Evanston (Nov. 24), which is another big question mark that could go either way.

The way I see it, Illinois should have another winning season. If they win the games that will take effort but can be done (Western Michigan, ASU, Penn State) and then get those question marks taken care of (Purdue, Minnesota) then we should have some satisfied fans. However, is merely a winning going to be enough? I think AD Mike Thomas would say “not a chance.” So no pressure Tim Beckman, but Mike Thomas doesn’ t like to lose.

Beckman may not be a favorite in the league due to his unabashed admission that he has no problem pinching Penn State transfers (welcome Ryan Nowicki!) but he is on the up-and-up and that’s all I care about. The key is how the players respond, and that’s what we have to wait and see.

Offensive tackle Jeff Allen and defensive back Tavon Wilson were both drafted on day two of the NFL Draft, making it a grand total of four players drafted from Illinois. Allen was selected with the 44th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs and Wilson was drafted 48th overall by the New England Patriots.

This year marks the first time in the common draft era (since 1967) that Illinois has had four players drafted in the first two rounds. Last year four Illini were drafted, but not in the first round.

“It’s just like the transition I made from high school to college,” Allen said of joining former Illini Jon Asamoah with the Chiefs. “Jon was one of the guys who took me under his wing, showed me how to work and how to perform at a high level. I see it being the same in the NFL, someone to look to and someone who can give me advice.”

“It’s a dream come true,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to be a Patriot. It’s definitely a relief. I’ve been training since January 10 and it’s been a long road, but now I’m a Patriot and I’m excited to be there. I probably surprised some people by going so high, but I didn’t surprise myself. I had heard anywhere from the second round to free agent (status). I’m just excited to get a chance to play in the NFL.”

With four guys drafted in the first two rounds, that means Illinois had a lot of talent on the team last year, that essentially was wasted. Everyone has always said Ron Zook could recruit, but coaching is another story. It will be nice to see what Tim Beckman can do this year with Zook’s talented guys.

Two former Illinois standouts were selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft last night: defensive end Whitney Mercilus and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins.

Mercilus was selected by the Houston Texans with the 26th pick in the first round, while Jenkins was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers with the 30th overall pick.

This marks the first time that two Illini were selected in the first round of a draft since 1996, when Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice were the No. 2 and No. 3 overall selections.

Illinois has now had five first round picks since 2008, the most of any Big Ten team during that span. Illinois’ four underclassmen chosen in the first round since 2008 is tied for the second-most by any team. Alabama leads the way with nine underclassman first-rounders in the last five years, while Florida and USC both match Illinois’ total of four.

“When my name was called my emotions just flooded,” Mercilus said of being drafted. “I was getting a little nervous because I thought I might go a little higher, so I was really happy when I got the call. I can’t wait to go to work with the Houston Texans. From day one I want to go prove to them that they spent their mone ywell on me.”

Jenkins was equally thrilled with his selection by the 49ers. “I was kind of caught off guard,” Jenkins said. “It’s just a blessing that I was taken in the first round by a great organization. I think it’s a perfect match. I can’t wait to go out to San Francisco, worth with a great coach in Coach Harbaugh and go to work with some talent players. It’s a great position to be in and a great organization.”

Other recent Illinois first rounders include running back Rashard Mendenhall (23rd overall by the Steelers in 2008), defensive back Vontae Davis (25th overall by Miami in 2009) and defensive tackle Corey Liuget (18th overall by the Chargers in 2011) as Illini first-round draft picks in the last five years. Of the five, all but Jenkins were underclassmen that left Illinois with eligibility remaining.

Illinois could have one or two more selections as the Draft continues. Congrats and best of luck in your NFL careers, guys!

If you couldn’t predict this then you shouldn’t call yourself an Illini fan: Junior DE Whitney Mercilus will forgo his senior year at Illinois to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

The most decorated Illini of the year by far, Mercilus would be a silly fool to return to Illinois next year. He’s got two bowl wins under his belt and this year he tied Simeon Rice’s single-season record and led the nation with 16 sacks. He also forced nine fumbles on the season, breaking Illinois and Big Ten records and ranking as the second-most in NCAA history. His 22.5 tackles for loss in 2011 led the Big Ten, rank second in the nation and third in the Illinois record book.

Mercilus is the seventh Illini in the last five years to enter the draft with eligibility remaining. The previous six all were taken in the first three rounds, including three first rounders ­– running back Rashard Mendenhall to the Steelers in 2008, cornerback Vontae Davis to the Dolphins in 2009 and defensive tackle Corey Liuget to the Chargers in 2011. Illinois has had five underclassmen picked in the first two rounds since 2008, which is tied for the second-most among all schools behind onlyAlabama’s six.

In a game like football where someone seems to be wheeled off the field with an injury in every game, it doesn’t make sense to go back to school when you know the NFL is calling. We are going to miss Mercilus in the orange and blue for sure, but I wish him nothing but the best of luck in his future career. If he wasn’t a defensive player I would look forward to drafting him on my fantasy football team in the future.

Here is what he had to say: 

“First, I want to congratulate my teammates and coaches for a great win against UCLA in the Fight Hunger Bowl – it was a great feeling to get back to winning, especially with a defensive performance like we had. With that said, after a lot of prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided the time is right for me to forgo my senior year and enter the 2012 NFL Draft. I want to thank Coach Zook, Coach Koenning, Coach Gilmore and the entire Illini staff for helping me get to this point. To the entire Illinois community – students, professors, athletic department and fans – thank you for all of your support during my time here in Champaign; these have been some of the best times of my life and I will never forget all that this university means to me.  Finally, thank you to my teammates – without you guys, I would not be in the position to make this decision. I have faith that Illinois will rise to the top and I will be there to support you.”

Beckman Adds Three Coaches

Head coach Tim Beckman;Photo by Cary Frye

In other football news, yesterday Tim Beckman announced the addition of three new coaches to take over next year’s football team: Chris Beatty, Luke Butkus and Jon Tenuta. The new guys have a combined 44 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, including 17 years as coordinators. However, today Tenuta changed his mind and decided to stay at NC State. The new guys join Keith Gilmore, Alex Golesh and Mike Ward on Beckman’s staff, and with Tenuta chickening out there are still four coaching spots open, so get your applications in ASAP.

Beatty comes to Illinois from Vanderbilt, where he helped the Commodores to an appearance in the 2011 Liberty Bowl as wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator. Prior to his time at VU, Beatty spent three seasons at West Virginia as running backs/slot receivers coach and director of recruiting. He helped guide the Mountaineers to a Big East co-championship in 2010 and appearances in the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl, the 2010 Gator Bowl and the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Butkus – the nephew of Dick Butkus – has spent the past five seasons in the NFL, the last two with the Seattle Seahawks as a quality control assistant working with the offensive line. Prior to that, he worked as an assistant offensive line coach for three seasons with the Chicago Bears from 2007-09. Butkus began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the University of Oregon from 2005-06, helping the Ducks to an appearance in the 2005 Holiday Bowl and the 2006 Las Vegas Bowl. A three-year starting center at Illinois from 1999-2001, Butkus was a two-time All-Big Ten selection in 2000 and 2001. He helped lead the Illini to a win in the 1999 MicronPC.com Bowl and a Big Ten title and appearance in the Sugar Bowl in 2001, anchoring an offensive line that paved the way for then-school records in total points, points per game and sacks allowed.

With the holiday season upon us – and a week off from basketball games – now is the perfect time to take a look at why Illini fans should be happy. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever else, here are 10 reasons to be happy that you’re an Illini fan.

10. The women’s volleyball team is heading to the Final Four- Usually I focus on the big ticket sports like football and basketball, but how awesome is it that the volleyball team is heading to the final four this weekend! The team was number one in the nation for a couple of weeks, and has had a remarkable season.  Best of luck ladies!

9. Football isn’t over yet – True, this could be both a good thing and a bad thing, especially with the news that interim coach Vic Koenning will coach the team for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco, but won’t be staying on next year. Nonetheless, this is the second year in a row that the Illini have gone to a bowl game and it gives fans once more chance to watch the Illini in action, especially seniors Jeff Allen and AJ Jenkins. And considering Whitney Mercilus would be a fool not to go pro, it’s one last chance to see him in orange as well.

Also, UCLA isn’t in much better of a position as they also fired their coach and is probably the only D1 team with a losing record to go to a bowl game. Despite the issues that Illinois is facing right now, they could accidentally pull off a win. What a great way to get ready for the new year!

8. A young basketball team means next year could be great – The Illini have six freshmen this year, one of which is almost sure to be redshirting (Devin Langford has been injured since before the season began). Mike Shaw and Tracy Abrams are showing oodles of promise, as is Myke Henry. A lot of people like Nnanna Egwu, but I get nervous every time he touches the ball. With a little more practice and if he can calm the heck down he could be pretty good. Then there is also Ibby Djimde,who is progressing nicely as well.

The basketball team will just lose one senior in Sam Maniscalco for next year, and though he is integral this year, Abrams should be able to progress to pick up some of the slack left behind. DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul will be in their last year and hungry for some sort of title before they have to leave town.  As good as the team ends up being this year, next year they will be even better.

7. Richardson and Paul are playing well at the same time, and those with “potential” are starting to show it – Last year, one of the big problems with the basketball team is that one person would have a good game while someone else sucked. This year, juniors Richardson and Paul are both doing well and showing the younger guys how to win games. Richardon’s mojo has lasted 10 games in, and Paul took matters into his own game against St. Bonaventure and appeared half man/half amazing by scoring 11 points in the last 4 minutes to win the game.

For years we’ve been hearing that Tyler Griffey (also a junior) and Joseph Bertrand (redshirt soph) had tons of talent and potential, but it wasn’t until this year that it was actually demonstrated. Neither are putting up numbers that will affix them to the star watch, but both of them are coming through when necessary and doing all the little things that need to be done to win games. Crandall Head is also slowly getting back into the mix, giving Coach Bruce Weber an extra-deep bench.

6. The B1G is looking good overall – The Big Ten Network is a hit, Nebraska joined the conference smoothly before all the silly gibberish about teams like Boise State headed to the Big East and what not, and both conference football and basketball programs are finding success this year.

The first-ever conference football championship went on without a hitch, with Michigan State and Wisconsin putting on a great show. A whopping 10 out of 12 B1G teams will head to a bowl this year (better luck next year Indiana and Minnesota) and the college season ended up being much more exciting than anyone anticipated with teams like Purdue and Illinois even squeaking by.

As for basketball, as much as it pains me, Indiana is showing some life with that amazing win against Kentucky (I can’t hate on that last-second shot) and both IU and Illinois are undefeated for the year. Also, 6 teams are currently nationally ranked.

It’s great to be a part of the B1G this year!

5. Whitney Mercilus is making the football team look awesome – Just yesterday the Associated Press named Mercilus an All-American, which added to the mile-long list of accolades he has earned this season. The junior defensive end leads the nation in sacks (14.5), sacks per game (1.21) and forced fumbles (9) in 2011. He also is tied for fifth in the nation and leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 19.5.

Mercilus looking good makes the Illini look even better. Take a gander at the other feathers in his hat so far this year. Also, get ready to say goodbye because he’d be a fool not to go pro:

• Ted Hendricks National Defensive End of the Year Award winner
• Bill Willis Defensive Lineman of the Year Award winner
• First-Team All-American (AP, FWAA, Walter Camp, AFCA, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, Phil Steele, SI.com, Yahoo.com)
• Honorable Mention All-American (Pro Football Weekly)
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy Finalist
• Bednarik Award and Rotary Lombardi Award Semifinalist
• First-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media)

Love the orange tie; Photo by Cary Frye

4. We have a new AD and our noses are clean- We had to say goodbye to Ron Guenther at the end of July, but then we got to say hello to Mike Thomas. Thomas has already cleaned house by getting rid of the failing football coach Ron Zook quickly and efficiently and ripped the band-aid off immediately after Minnesota made us look dumb. He also hired a new coach swiftly and clearly stands behind his decision. Guenther was getting old and lazy, while Thomas is ready to bring home championships.

On the same measure, at a time where football and basketball teams around the country are going through serious issues (Penn State, Ohio State, Miami, etc.) the Illinois program is clean as a whistle.

3. We have a new football coach – Tim Beckman, formerly of Toledo, was recently announced as the new head football coach, and his enthusiasm is catching. Many like to say that he is so energetic that he “scares caffeine” but I’ve got no problem with that. Zook was charming and suave, but I’ve heard some negative comments about him in the past from former players, etc. Beckman is  eager to please and he won the hearts of Illini fans with his first press conference, his orange tie, and his promise of lasagna.

2. Meyers Leonard is a beast – Last year, Leonard played about 8 minutes a game and averaged 2 points and 1 rebound. This year, Leonard is a starter who know has 3 double doubles. He plays about 26 minutes a game and is averaging 13.4 points (second to only Richardson) and  7.2 rebounds (leads the team). His field goal percentage is 63.8, putting him at 14th in the nation. Some are speculating that Leonard will leave for the NBA this year, though I think he needs one more year in college to mature a little more (that’s another post). Either way, after four years of a big man who ate 6,000 calories but didn’t gain any weight until his senior year (soft, pudgy weight I might add) we finally have a big man that can handle a double team with ease. Also, he loves to dunk. Leonard needs to calm down sometimes and keep his emotions in check, but we are lucky to have such a talented big man on the team.

Leonard loves to dunk!; Photo by Cary Frye

1. The basketball team is  undefeated and ranked, and they’re having fun – The Illini are currently 10-0 and ranked 19 in the nation on both polls. Many of the games were ones they were supposed to win, but they also can boast a Cancun Challenge tournament win, a road win at Maryland and a home win against a formerly ranked Gonzaga team that will just get better.

Even more importantly, about half of the games that the Illini won this year they would not have won last year. It’s just a fact. This year’s team loves to play the game, appear to love each other, and – most importantly – want to win. These guys are having fun and it shows with the W’s, and the style of play. They are fun to watch and they are winning. True, we’re only 10 games in, but they might actually maybe possibly be for real. I better not have to eat my words on this one guys.

It’s great to be an Illini fan this holiday season!

Despite the massive fail that engulfed the end of the Illini football season, AJ Jenkins and Whitney Mercilus were still named First-Team All-Big Ten. In fact, nine total players were awarded with all-conference accolades. 

In total, five Illinois football players were named to the All-Big Ten teams by coaches and media, while four others earned honorable mentions. Senior wide receiver Jenkins and junior defensive end Mercilus were first-team picks by both the coaches and media.

Junior bandit Michael Buchanan was a second-team selection on both teams, while senior offensive tackle Jeff Allen and sophomore linebacker Jonathan Brown were named to the second team by the media. Allen, Brown and senior linebacker Ian Thomas were honorable mention selections by the coaches, and senior defensive back Tavon Wilson was on the media’s honorable mention list. Senior kicker Derek Dimke and junior defensive back Terry Hawthorne were honorable mention picks by both groups. Sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is Illinois’ honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Mercilus led the nation in sacks (14.5), sacks per game (1.21) and broke the Big Ten record with nine forced fumbles, one shy of the NCAA record of 10. A finalist for the Nagurski Award as the nation’s best defensive player, Mercilus has lived up to his name, forcing a fumble in four straight games and in six of the last seven, whileregistering at least one sack in 10 of 12 games this season. He led the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss and is close to breaking Simeon Rice’s UI sacks record of 16.

Jenkins logged a Big Ten-best 84 catches for 1,194 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He ranks second on the Illinois single-season receiving yards list and third on the receptions list. Jenkins accounted for 53.3 percent of Illinois’ receiving yards this season, by far the highest percentage in the nation. He broke Illinois’ single-game receiving record with 268 yards on 12 catches against Northwestern and followed that up with 182 yards at Indiana the next week, breaking the Big Ten record for most receiving yards in consecutive games.

Congrats to everyone who earned recognition, despite the horrific nosedive that attacked the football season this year.

Click here for the full list of Big Ten Players who received recognition.

Things sure got testy during yesterday’s B1G football presser, as Illinois coach Ron Zook left abruptly after Shannon Ryan from the Chicago Tribune asked him about his future after this season.

Rumors have been swirling about what will happen to Zook after this season’s radiant 6-win start and then abrupt downward spiral of 4 losses which will probably turn into 5 after Wisconsin on Saturday. Nonetheless, I’m not sure what people really expect him to say when responding to this question.

Would they like him to say: “Well golly I sure screwed up this season and I’ve already started cleaning out my office! See you guys around.”

Zook probably doesn’t even know himself what the future will bring, and my guess is he’s frightened because he knows that without that Texas Bowl win last year he might already have been out.

However, there are certainly more graceful ways to address such a question without giving a reporter an angry stare and storming out. Take a look at his reaction here:

http://illinoishomepage.net/finfulltext/?nxd_id=310827

Someone who feels pretty confident about his team and his job might’ve said “The only future we’re worried about right now is that game on Saturday against Wisconsin, and we’re just tuning out the rest.” Or, he also could’ve simply said “next question please.” Instead, he made himself look worse by walking out.

So, what about that game on Saturday? For the first time all season I’m barely interested in even watching. Wisconsin isn’t quite the powerhouse that people predicted with road losses to Michigan State and Ohio State. There is a chink in the armor, and it appears to be on the road. Perhaps if Illinois can get it together the team can pull off a win, but it is doubtful.

Wisconsin is ranked No. 15 right now, and a win would be a huge coup for the Illini and would certainly guarantee a spot in a BCS bowl. It would also give the Illini confidence enough to win against an easy team like Minnesota for the first road win of the season next week. Right now, Illinois has 6 wins making them bowl eligible, but 7 losses could put them out of the running despite those wins.

I don’t see how Zook and the others can be confident about the game this weekend, especially after the arrests and shootings last weekend. The team had a nice long rest before hosting Michigan last week and the offense was still as lifeless and dead as a doornail. The team doesn’t look the same as it did in those first few games (perhaps those two or three close games were a fluke), and I’m not sure how they’re going to get it together.

Zook has promised that adjustments have been made, and he has to know his job and reputation are on the line. But that knowledge could just lead to frantic desperate plays that lead to an ugly loss. The defense has been doing its job since day one, how about the offense gets into the action? I love me some Nathan Scheelhaase, but maybe Riley O’Toole needs a little bit more time in the game to shake things up. How about AJ Jenkins and Jason Ford get some mojo advice from DJ Richardson, who has been on fire on the basketball court as of late. We’ll see Saturday what these changes are, and if they even matter.

Fun facts:

• This week’s game marks the 78th meeting between the Fighting Illini and the Badgers. Illinois leads the all-time series 36-34-7 and holds a 20-14-3 series edge in Champaign.

• Illinois and Wisconsin have not met since 2008, a 27-17 Badger win in Madison. The last meeting in Champaign was a 31-26 Illini win in 2007 over the fifth-ranked Badgers. Prior to the 2007 UI win, Wisconsin had won four straight in the series.

• Illini head coach Ron Zook is 1-3 in his career against Wisconsin, while Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is 2-1 against Illinois.

• All-America candidate Whitney Mercilus continues to lead the nation in sacks (12.5), sacks per game (1.25) and forced fumbles (7).

• DE Whitney Mercilus and LB Jonathan Brown rank fourth and seventh nationally in tackles for loss per game with 1.75 and 1.61 TFLs per game, respectively.

• RB Troy Pollard is averaging 7.6 yards per carry, the 13th-highest per carry average in the nation and the best in the Big Ten.

• Illinois is 14th nationally in fewest penalty yards per game (38.5).

The game will be on ESPN2 at 11am on Saturday.

While the success of the Illinois football team has fallen off on the whole, individual players are still receiving some accolades. The newest list to hold an Illini name: the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Semifinalist List.

Eight defensive players and four offensive players are on the list of 12 semifinalists for the 42nd Rotary Lombardi Award to be held December 7, 2011, at the Reliant Center in Houston.

The SEC led with four players, including three from Alabama. Other conferences represented are the PAC-12 with three (including two from Stanford), two from the Big 10, and one player each from the ACC, Conference USA, and an Independent.

The 12 Semifinalists are:
Vinny Curry – Defensive End, Marshall, 6-4, 263, Sr., Neptune, NJ
David DeCastro – Offensive Guard, Stanford, 6-5, 310, Sr., Bellevue, WA
Dont’a Hightower – Linebacker, Alabama, 6-4, 260, Jr., Lewisburg, TN
Melvin Ingram – Defensive End, South Carolina, 6-2, 276, Sr., Hamlet, NC
Barrett Jones – Offensive Line, Alabama, 6-5, 311, Jr., Memphis, TN
Matt Kalil – Offensive Tackle, USC, 6-7, 295, Jr., Corona, CA
Luke Kuechly – Linebacker, Boston College, 6-3, 237, Jr., Cincinnati, OH
Jonathan Martin – Offensive Tackle, Stanford, 6-6, 304, Sr., Los Angeles, CA
Whitney Mercilus – Defensive Line, Illinois, 6-4, 265, Jr., Akron, OH
Manti Te’o – Linebacker, Notre Dame, 6-2, 255, Jr., Laie, HI
Courtney Upshaw – Linebacker, Alabama, 6-2, 265, Sr., Eufaula, AL
Jerel Worthy – Defensive Tackle, Michigan State, 6-3, 310, Jr., Huber Heights, OH

Let’s hope tomorrow the Illini act like a team that deserves recognition as they head to Penn State.

Photo by Richard Paul Kane

Six University of Illinois football players earned recognition on Phil Steele’s Midseason All-America team. Junior DE Whitney Mercilus was named to the first team, while senior WR A.J. Jenkins was on the second team, senior OT Jeff Allen was on the third team, and senior DB Tavon Wilson was given fourth-team honors. Sophomore QB Nathan Scheelhaase and junior C Graham Pocic were honorable mention All-America selection.

To add to the fun, 11 Illini were named to Steele’s Midseason All-Big Ten Teams, including four first team selections. Allen, Jenkins, Mercilus, Wilson and bandit Michael Buchanan earned first-team honors, while linebacker Jonathan Brown, DB Terry Hawthorne, Scheelhaase, DT Akeem Spence and LB Ian Thomas were named to the second team. Center Graham Pocic earned third-team honors.

Illini on Steele’s Midseason All-America Teams:

First Team: DE Whitney Mercilus

Second Team: WR A.J. Jenkins

Third Team: OL Jeff Allen

Fourth Team: DB Tavon Wilson

Honorable Mention: QB Nathan Scheelhaase, C Graham Pocic

Illini on Steele’s Midseason All-Big Ten Teams:

First Team: OL Jeff Allen, BAN Michael Buchanan, WR A.J. Jenkins, DE Whitney Mercilus, DB Tavon Wilson

Second Team: LB Jonathan Brown, DB Terry Hawthorne, QB Nathan Scheelhaase, DT Akeem Spence, LB Ian Thomas

Third Team: C Graham Pocic