From 0-11 to Big Ten champs

Salute to Signing day

This week Illinois head coach Bret Bielema will sign his first full recruiting class.....yeah last year technically Bielema's staff 'signed' a class but majority were committed to Love Smith before he was fired as head coach....show of good faith Illinois football signed players committed to Smith's staff...in anticipation of that first full class of Bielema's.....go back and review the first Illini recruiting classes of Mke White, John Mackovic, and Ron Turner this week....next up Ron Turner's 1997 Illini recruiting class.

Wasn't a great in state recruiting class 1997....best player turned out to be Antwaan Randle El (Thornton) who followed his brother to Indiana...best lineman Proviso West defensive tackle Hubert 'Boo Boo' Thompson went to Michigan State struggles after football have been well-documented...Tom O'Brien linebacker Nazareth Academy only Lou Tepper staff’s commitment that didn't stick with Illinois...O'Brien signed with Northwestern moved to defensive line in Evanston....Turner's staff made a late run at all state Glenbard North tackle Ryan Diem but the future NFL'er stuck with his commitment to Northern Illinois.

Ron Turner's 1997 Fighting Illini football recruiting class

Luke Butkus Steger (Ill.) Bloom Township HS

Committed to Tepper's staff...of course he stuck with his commitment when Turner was hired....continued the family tradition of winning a Big Ten championship on the field, raising hell off it at Illinois.

Matt Carlton offensive line Livonia (Mich.) College of DuPage

Didn't qualify for 97...sat out the fall...qualified 1998...moved to the defensive line....lettered 98-99.

Jameel Cook running back Miami Southridge HS

Lettered 98 till 00....perfect fit in Turner's offense at fullback....NFL career

Brian Hodges quarterback Country Club Hills (Ill.) Rich Central

Tepper commitment moved to tight end.....lettered 98-99-00...started 11 games 1998.

Dan Cutter offensive line Tampa (Fla.) Catholic HS

Reserve lineman lettered 99-00...best work done on Green Street.

Anthony Hurd cornerback New Orleans St. Augustine HS

Lettered 98/00....five starts at cornerback in those two seasons at Illinois...injuries ended his career.

Bobby Jackson defensive back Corvallis (Ore.) Crescent Valley HS

Father Robert was an assistant coach at Oregon State when Jackson committed to Tepper's staff summer of 1996....grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago/DeKalb when his father was a high school head coach/assistant coach at Northern Illinois...father hired by Turner as wide receivers coach 1999....four-star recruit...four-year starter (missed 1999 cause of injury)...all Big Ten...two-time captain 00/01.

Oliver King defensive line Saginaw (Mich.) HS

Son of former Illini fullback Mickey Bates....lasted a year in Champaign....room smell (funky) seemed to be the overwhelming memory those in this class had of King.

Jay Kulaga offensive line Seminole (Fla.) HS

Four-year letterman (98-01).....three-year starter at guard (35 starts)....all Big Ten first team 2001....got the most out of his ability or Hiestand did....excellent fundamentals/best Illini lineman at holding/skullduggery that never seemed to get caught.

Mon Long Sarasota (Fla.) Riverview HS

Four-year letterman (97-00)....special teamer/back up to linebackers Clark/Guenther/Schumacher.

Robbie Long fullback/linebacker Champaign (Ill.) Centennial HS

Moved to defensive line lettered 99-00-01.

Nick Piazza wide receiver Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way HS

Committed to Tepper's staff....Illini legacy recruit...four-year letterman at wide receiver,/special teams.....successful businessman after graduating from UIUC.

Ray Redziniak Clark (NJ) Johnson Regional HS/Milford Academy (NY.)

Four-year starter at guard...all Big Ten pick...two-time Illini captain (99-00).

Keith Washington linebacker Shreveport (La.) Fair Park HS

Lettered 1997 as backup linebacker/special teamer....wasn't asked back for 1998 season due to off the field issues.

Josh Whitman tight end West Lafayette (Ind.) Harrison HS

Four-year letterman…three-year starter at tight end....University of Illinois athletic director.

Jeff Ziegler quarterback Jackson (Mich.) Lumen Christi HS

Committed to Tepper's staff....spent one year with Turner and decided Illinois was not for him....transferred to Grand Valley State.

Turner's staff 1997

Buddy Teevens wide receivers coach/offensive coordinator

Craig Ver Steeg quarterbacks coach

Jim Helms running backs coach

Greg McMahon tight ends coach/special teams (Tepper staff holdover)

Harry Hiestand offensive line coach

O'Neill Gilbert defensive line coach (Tepper staff holdover who left after signing day for the NFL replaced by ‘Sleepy’ Pete McCarty)

Osia Lewis defensive ends/outside linebackers coach

Tim Kish inside linebackers/defensive coordinator

Les Frazier defensive backs coach

Grade-B....foundation class that helped win a Big Ten championship in 2001 for Turner's program....players like Redziniak, Butkus, Kulaga, Whitman brought a certain physical/mental toughness to the program/daily practices that had been missing Tepper era...Jackson, Butkus co captains/leaders for the 2001 squad....toughness is a difference maker in football and this class was full of that.

Will have Lou Tepper's first class later in the The Weekly column...since Tepper wasn't replacing a fired head coach, kept the majority of the recruits already committed to Mackovic's staff.....didn't think it qualified for the same treatment as those that they came in scrambling to fill a class like White/Mackovic/Turner....recruiting websites have archived lists of Zook/Beckman/Smith's first recruiting classes why not reviewing any of them.