Zook comes in with a reputation as a great recruiter who struggles with his in-game decisions. He will be fighting hard to overcome the latter. He appears to be more decisive than Turner, as he comes out of spring practice with junior Tim Brasic as the starting quarterback. Brasic was mired as a third-string quarterback under Turner, but his accuracy and arm strength were key factors in his ability to impress Zook.

Illinois hopes to find consistent offense and decent defense in its attempt to climb the Big Ten ladder. Even if Zook is successful and finds a way to make better in-game decisions than he did at Florida, it's hard to picture Illinois as any more than a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team. A fifth-place finish would be a major success.

The Illini have seven returning starters on offense and seven on defense, which may help this team stay in games for 60 minutes.

Zook appears to bring significantly more energy to the Illini than Turner. If he can get this team off to a good start, the Illini have a chance to become one of the feel-good stories of the year in the Big Ten.

-- QB Tim Brasic emerged as the Illini starter with a great performance in the spring, culminating in an 18-of-27 effort for 195 yards and a touchdown in the team's spring game. Brasic, a junior, did not throw one pass for the Illini last season.

-- How familiar is first-year head coach Ron Zook with his players? Not very. He recently referred to starting RB E.B. Halsey as "L.B."

2006 DRAFT PROSPECTS: WR Kendrick Jones -- The senior is the team's leading returning receiver after catching 47 passes a year ago. He has size -- 6-2 and 180 pounds -- and another solid year will have him on several scouts' report cards at the end of the year.

P Steve Weatherford - On a team that has few great weapons on either side of the ball, Weatherford is one of their most valuable performers. Weatherford averaged 45.4 yards per punt and put 23 inside the 20. He did not have one punt blocked a year ago.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "This new offense is something I'm really accustomed to. I did nothing but shotgun in high school." - Brasic on the multiple offense that Zook has installed at Illinois. It is significantly different from the West Coast offense that Ron Turner had previously at Illinois.

Brasic is a great athlete with a very solid arm. He had a very good spring and bypassed Chris Pazan and Kisan Flakes to win the job. In previous seasons, Turner had a tough time making his quarterback choice and then sticking with it. We'll see if Zook remains supportive of Brasic as the season progresses.

The strength of the Illini offense is the running game. E.B. Halsey and Pierre Thomas provide a great 1-2 punch. Thomas ran for 893 yards and eight touchdowns last year and is explosive. He can hit the home runs and loosen up opposing defenses. Halsey is quite versatile and can pound the ball between the tackles and then get to the outside. He ran for 461 yards and 5 TDs a year ago.

FB Jason Davis is one of the unsung players on this team. While the senior gained just 230 yards for the season, he is an exceptional blocker who clears a very solid path for Halsey and Thomas.

The WR position is keyed by Kendrick Jones. He can go over the middle and make the tough catch on third down and led the Illini with 47 receptions a year ago. DaJuan Warren, a 6-3, 195-yard pound sophomore, should start opposite Jones.

TE Melvin Bryant will be a factor on third downs and in the red zone. He had just 12 receptions last year and he'll have to step up this year.

The key to offensive success this year is the play of the offensive line. Last year this unit performed well at times, but lacked overall consistency. Conditioning may have been a key issue in their inability to play well for 60 minutes at a time.

Zook has three returning starters on the line. J.J. Simmons mans the left tackle spot, while Matt Maddox returns at center. Martin O'Donnell returns to the left guard spot he started at last year, but Ben Amundsen is listed as the starter on the depth chart. If the 6-6, 290-pound Simmons can continue to step up and get the job done, the line could be decent.

DEFENSE: While the Illinois offense struggled badly last season, the defense simply let the team down on a regular basis. Illinois ranked 97th last year in total defense, giving up 424 yards per game and 79th in total defense by allowing 29.6 ppg. Zook knows the team has to show significant improvement or another painful year will be at hand.

Three starters return to the defensive line. DT Ryan Matha is the leader of this group. The 300-pound senior had 34 tackles and 7 more behind the line of scrimmage last year. He has the ability to shed the block and penetrate, which allows him to make plays on a regular basis.

DT Chris Norwell had 40 tackles and 2 more behind the line of scrimmage as a freshman last year. He has long arms and a quick first step and could emerge as a defensive force this year.

DE Derek Walker won a starting position this spring. The redshirt freshman is not big -- 6-5 and 245 pounds -- but he has the speed and quickness to become an impact pass rusher this year.

With leading tackler Mike Sinclair gone, Anthony Thornhill and J Leman are expected to carry the bulk of the load at the LB position. Thornhill is quick and can fly to the football. If he can avoid the blocking, he could be the leading tackler on the team. Leman had 56 tackles and 3 tackles for loss a year ago.

The Illini have had terrible problems with their pass defense for years. They gave up 229 passing yards a game and ranked 79th in that area in 2004. CB Alan Ball returns to the starting lineup and will be joined by Charles Bailey at the other CB spot.

The area of strength for the defense should be the safety positions. FS Morris Virgil made a successful transition from running back last year and he finished with 78 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. SS Justin Harrison may be the best player on the Illini. Harrison finished second on the team in tackles with 79 and also had one interception a year ago.

P Steve Weatherford was Ron Turner's best weapon a year ago and he could fulfill the same roll for Zook. He is an outstanding directional punter with great leg strength. There's no reason to think that he won't be able to match his 45.4 yard average of a year ago and he should contend for All-America honors.