'The punt is the most exciting play in football.'

What, Me Worry?

*Five areas of concern for Bret Bielema's football team heading into the 2023 season....

-Hope Barry Lunney Jr. takes a big 'mother may I' step forward running the Illini offense....improved game management/red zone play-calling/winning the situational football battle...first three Illini games all toss-ups and the OC will need to be excellent in all of the above areas for Bielema's program to win....Chase Brown/Tommy DeVito can't save Lunney Jr.'s ass this year....OC also has to bring along a first time full-time starter QB in Luke Altmyer....reportedly none of the top 3 QB's (Altmyer/Paddock/Leary) vocal leaders so Lunney Jr. has to keep trying to get that out of them or lead himself....with the making's of an outstanding 'D', first month of the season in my opinion all on Lunney Jr. getting his offense going.

-For all the 'hype' of former Illini defensive coordinator/now Purdue head coach Ryan Walters' 'D' last season....2nd half of 2022 offensive coordinators figured out his calls...what different look(s) new defensive coordinator Aaron Henry/staff installing to change it up? First time defensive coordinator surrounded by a veteran staff and does have four NFL players front five to work with (Coleman, Randolph, Newton, Jacas)…..we should be looking for more creativity in scheme this fall.

-Running back...again Chase Brown not around to save the day....all reports have sophomore 'big back' Josh McCray in 'great shape'/'plus' attitude pre-season camp....maybe he can have a Mikel Leshoure 2010 breakout season? McCray/Leshoure similar/talented but not always 'focused'....on the other hand with his upright running style, McCray takes too many hits/could end up on the injured list...again....Reggie Love a change of pace/3rd down type of back that doubt staff wants to get 15 touches a game....won't hold up.

-Punter....'reports' have place-kicker Caleb Griffin getting reps punting the ball...c'mon...guess Illinois got the only Australian punter that isn't much good if Griffin has to both punt and place-kick....speaking of special teams, please no more Isaiah Williams returning punts....huge loss for 'O' Lil' Uno getting hurt returning punts.

-Injuries, injuries, injuries...keen grasp of the obvious...looks like the Illini S&C staff did a great job getting the team ready this summer for 2023.

*"The Athletic's Bruce Feldman published his highly anticipated 2023 College Football Freaks List. The list is published every year right before the start of the new college football season, and recognizes 101 athletes in the sport who are capable of some truly amazing feats.....Illini player making the list this year....defensive end Gabe Jacas-A former wrestling state champion in the state of Florida, Illinois coaches have raved about the 6-foot-3, 267-pound Jacas non-stop, and have praised his intensity in workouts. (Courtesy Sports Illustrated)

Got me to thinking about the all-time Illini football athletic freaks list....going all the way back to the 60's...my top four...couldn't decide on the fifth pick...am sure missed someone.

-Dick Butkus middle linebacker/center-A healthy Butkus at 6-foot-3, 230-pounds running a 4.5 forty that’s the word....his old teammate Ron Guenther always said Butkus when they ran sprints 'one of the fastest guys on the team' and that was the whole 63' Rose Bowl team....Healthy Butkus today in the NFL would be a combo of Micah Parsons/Brian Urlacher...un-blockable/use him all over the field.

-Lonnie Perrin running back 70's-From Washington (D.C) McKinley Tech High School......Member of the Parade All-American High School football team....all-city basketball player that dominated off-season pickup games on-campus...so good at one point Perrin offered a spot on the Illini hoops team/then head coach Bob Blackman vetoed that idea....High School All-American track performer....kicked off when he played in the NFL...almost had his D.C. buddy Adrian Dantley talked into coming to Champaign to play hoops for the Illini...Dantley ended up an All-American for the Devil Digger Phelps at Notre Dame....Perrin All-Big Ten pick/four-year pro career.

-Simeon Rice 'rush' linebacker (1992-1995)-3rd pick in the 1996 NFL draft.....remember #97 coming off the edge blind-side sack on some poor B1G QB?.....when 'motivated' couldn't be blocked (wasn't always motivated)....off-season while playing in the NFL....held his own playing hoops in a professional summer basketball league....if Rice had played for the New York Giants/big media market, would be in the NFL Hall of Fame now...crazy athletic ability.

-Vontae Davis cornerback (2006-2008)-6-foot-1, 190-pounds running 4.4 forties….could turn and burn with the best NFL wide receivers….38-inch vertical jump....another crazy athletic player that like Rice needed to be properly motivated to get the most out of his ability....remember one Illini assistant talking about Vontae at Illinois, 'Zook let him get away with everything...he could do all the drills they gave him better than anyone and we had athletes...Vontae was just better than everyone....and he knew it...knew how to get away with doing what he wanted to do and no one would do anything about it that stuck'....First round pick of the Dolphins and after they traded him away early in his career to Indianapolis...trade finally woke Davis up and started playing up to his ability with the Colts.

-Fifth pick? Some other 'freaks' that come to mind...

-Rashard Mendenhall running back (2005-2007)-4.5 forties at a chiseled 230-pounds....could squat the weightroom....jump thru the roof...like Rice/Davis another former Illini that had to be properly motivated but when he was....2007 B1G MVP/NFL first round pick of the Steelers.

-Eugene Wilson cornerback (1999-2002)-could have played on the Illini hoops team/high school track champion....long time NFL safety after being taken in the 2nd round by the Patriots...one of the most under-rated Illini players in recent school history.

-Steve Weatherford punter (2001-2005)-Won a Super Bowl with the Giants....6-foot-4, 220-pound punter running a 4.5 forty....All-State in track...lettered on the Illini track team....when offense stunk in 2004, punter became Ron Turner's secret weapon on fakes...it worked for awhile....all-timer off the field at the Green Street bars during his time in Champaign.

-Jay Prosch fullback (2010-2011)-From Mobile, Alabama….pound for pound strongest Illini football player in the last 20 years......one of those 400-plus bench press/600-pound squat kind of guys....could do back flips land on his feet...flip the opposite way/walk on his hands for ten feet or so....devastating blocker....when Tim Beckman took over he told Prosch, 'we don't use a fullback and don't think you are good enough to play on defense for us'...so the 'going back home to be closer to his sick mother' story came from the Illini program when Prosch transferred to Auburn....yes his mother had cancer/died September 2012....real reason Prosch left? He loved his teammates but hated Beckman/new staff....6th round pick of the Houston Texans/four-year NFL career at fullback/special teamer.

*News and notes...

-Illini football picks up another 2024 commitment....Josaiah Knight defensive end/outside linebacker from Gadsen County (Fla.) High School...picked Illinois over several power five offers...strength of playing in the Big 2 (SEC/B1G) young man picked Champaign, Illinois over Atlanta (Georgia Tech)...Knight's high school coach is former Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.)/Illini linebacker Russell Ellington....Ellington in his first year at Gadsen so doubt how much influence he had in Knight's decision....Scouting Knight: 6-foot-4, 230-pounder played both stand-up outside linebacker/defensive end as a junior.....Former University of Cincinnati commitment....visited UC and Georgia Tech along with the Illini...has bend/burst you are looking for in an edge rusher...long arms/big hands....range to be able to slide down the line, cut off back side.......ability to sift thru traffic make the tackle...too many times settles for bear hugs to bring the ball carrier/QB down vs. breaking down properly tackling...skinny calves/lower body frame so question how much more weight he can carry?....perfect fit for the Illini as a stand-up outside linebacker in a 5-2 front...can put his hand down play weakside d-end 3-4 front....Knight gives a 'D' length and versatility.

-Former Chicago Bear/Illini/NFL coach Les Frazier making it known he is interested in becoming the next head coach of the Northwestern Mildcats....Frazier let go after last season by the Buffalo Bills for 'health reasons'...which=bullshit....Frazier in 'excellent health' was sacrificed as Bills d-coordinator after two disappointing playoff losses.....Former Vikings head coach visiting many college programs this fall getting the lay of the land at that level....'big shooter' agent Bob LaMonte reps Frazier.....all the schools Frazier visiting their head coaches repped by LaMonte.

Two 'spies' at the Illini football camp both agreed...true freshman defensive back Saboor Karriem (#2) is 'too good not to play this fall'....'future star' in the defensive backfield.

In a moment of honesty, Illini hoop staffer admitted to a local CU 'media' type...'We weren't able to get the kind of confidence, answers at point (guard) we hoped for' after the team's summer trip to Spain...anyone surprised?...gotta' wonder another one and done disappointing NCAA tourney performance...fans turn on head coach Brad Underwood like Terps fans turned on Mark Turgeon?...by the end, Turgeon said, 'fuck it' left early in the season cause he couldn't take the abuse in College Park anymore.

Reportedly Big Ten referees 'studying' last season's conference games to correct/improve on their calls....one game in particular group paying attention to?.....Illini vs. Michigan contest.....'point of emphasis' 'teaching opportunity' not make the same mistake(s) as they did that day.......example Wolverines pick play on offense that wasn't called late in the game leading to the winning field goal....Bielema told the refs reportedly to 'keep an eye' on the pick play Michigan might run, 'it's a penalty'...sure as shit, Michigan runs the play tight end picks the Illini defender and no call....head of Big Ten refs admitted it was a missed call....'will try to make sure it doesn't happen again'...yeah sure....ref supervisor had crews look at several other calls that game but pick play 'the worst' missed....Head coach still not getting off the hook for poor game management 2nd half vs. Michigan....punting the ball back late when his 'D' hadn't stopped anyone 2nd half....Wolverines 'O' stopped themselves with mistakes that day...ah never mind.