2008 OUTLOOK: Ron Zook has his players believing that everyone thinks Illinois a one-year wonder, and they need to redouble their efforts in order to prove everyone wrong. While that stance seems to have paid off with banner offseason workouts (senior defensive end Will Davis added 17 pounds of muscle) and strong spring practices, most Big Ten teams believe they did the same.

Illinois' ability to return to the thick of the Big Ten fight depends much more on how well it can replace Rashard Mendenhall's production at running back. Just in case anyone forgot, Mendenhall's 1,681 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns crushed all previous single-season efforts in school history. Can junior Dan Dufrene, redshirt freshman Troy Pollard and true freshmen Jason Ford and Mikel LeShoure team up to approximate Mendenhall's production? If so, the Illini have a legitimate chance to return to a BCS bowl.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
In junior QB Juice Williams and sophomore slot receiver Arrelious Benn, Illinois retains two-thirds of its big-play troika that helped land the team in the Rose Bowl. Late-season WR revelation Jeff Cumberland and spring-time TE revelation Mike Hoomanawanui are two more impressive threats, while senior left tackle Xavier Fulton and senior center Ryan McDonald are NFL draftees waiting to happen. Now it's up to offensive coordinator Mike Locksley and running backs coach Reggie Mitchell to find a few decent runners. Locksley expressed frustration during the spring that he couldn't find a guy willing to "put his foot in the ground" and hit it up hard into the line. You can bet he'll find someone willing to do that this fall, or Illinois' option attack will die trying.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Yes, Illinois lost five valuable seniors who started 184 combined games. But since none of them were selected in the NFL draft, it's clear their value was more in their experience than their athleticism. This is the year when Illinois' defense becomes largely about athletes. Martez Wilson and Rodney Pittman provide an upgrade at the outside backers while young defensive tackles Josh Brent, D'Angelo McCray and incoming frosh Corey Liuget are athletic freaks. If there's potential for opposing offenses to shred the Illini, it will come early as guys like Wilson and safety Donsay Hardeman, a junior-college transfer, learn to "play fast" within the defense.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS
For four years, Jason Reda held down the placekicking job. He was so solid as a senior, he didn't miss his second field goal until the Rose Bowl. Illinois has four candidates trying to replace him, with incoming walk-on freshman Derek Dimke having as good a chance as any. Punter Anthony Santella finished a so-so freshman campaign with a terrific Rose Bowl. Watch for Illinois' return game to be far better as Arrelious Benn, who returned his first collegiate kick 90 yards for a score against Penn State, figures to play a far bigger role. Benn might even return punts, too, which was a specialty of his in high school.

ROSTER REPORT

--Chris Duvalt moved from CB to WR during the spring and found the perfect place for his 4.4 speed. Duvalt caught four passes in the spring game, including three acrobatic grabs. He'll definitely be in the receiving rotation this fall.

--With just two able-bodied running backs available at the start of camp -- and starting fullback Rahkeem Smith out with an injury -- redshirt freshman Darius Purcell shifted from safety to fullback. Then, after the tenacious 5-foot-10, 219-pound Purcell showed some running skills, he moved from fullback to running back. He showed an ability to get tough yards, so he could have a role at tailback in the fall.

--Sophomore LG Randall Hunt, who played briefly in two games last season, stepped up and claimed the starting job that belonged for the last four years to all-American Martin O'Donnell. The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Hunt worked so hard, he received the Best Effort on Offense award from the coaches this spring.

--Sophomore WR Arrelious Benn (shoulder), junior TE Mike Hoomanawanui (hamstring), junior FB Rahkeem Smith (foot), senior C Ryan McDonald (precaution), senior WR Kyle Hudson (baseball) and sophomore S Travon Bellamy (shoulder) were among the key players who sat out Illinois' spring game.

--Freshman QB Phil Haig, who redshirted in the fall, quit the team to focus on baseball. He was expected to fall to fourth string in the fall when highly touted incoming freshman Jacob Charest arrived.

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