With the possible exception of Ohio State, which endured embarrassing off-field problems prior to edging Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, Illinois finished the 2010 season on a bigger roll than any other Big Ten team.

The Illini pounded Baylor in the Texas Bowl for the program's first postseason win since 1999. The bowl victory helped Illinois add a few high-profile blue-chippers at the end of the recruiting process, which bodes well for the future.

"We ended up obviously on a positive note," said coach Ron Zook, who enters his seventh season at Illinois. "The bowl game, for some reason, maybe it was the time slot, but everybody saw that game. From that standpoint, it was positive."

But as the Illini shift their focus from their 27-man recruiting class to the 2011 season, the coaches must deal with more vacancies than they initially anticipated. When the official NFL early-entry list was revealed in mid-January, no school had more players on it than Illinois.

Not only did record-setting running back Mikel Leshoure (1,697 yards, 17 TDs) leave a year early, but all-Big Ten middle linebacker Martez Wilson and second-team all-Big Ten defensive tackle Corey Liuget also eschewed their senior year. With all three flying up the draft charts -- Liuget now is regarded as a late first-round selection -- the Illini suffered a significant talent hit.

Of the three new openings, Illinois is best-positioned to fill Leshoure's shoes, as senior Jason Ford rushed for 480 yards and seven scores in 2010 and owns 1,362 yards and 19 TDs for his career. If Ford can slim down similar to the way Leshoure did prior to last year (he checked in for fall camp at 230 pounds and 4.9 percent body fat), then he could be Illinois' primary bruiser at running back.

Illinois also welcomes back senior scatback Troy Pollard (361 career yards) and sophomore Bud Golden to go with incoming freshmen Josh Ferguson and Donovonn Young. Zook regards Ferguson as a dual-threat who's as good of a pass-catcher as a runner, while the tank-shaped Young plowed for 2,332 yards and 36 TDs as a senior for Katy High School in suburban Houston.

"The first time I laid eyes on him, I said, 'Man, that guy looks like an NFL back,'" Zook told the Daily Herald.

TOP OF THE CLASS

TE Jon Davis (Eastern High, Louisville, Ky.) -- Davis was a long-time commit to Kentucky, but Illinois flipped the four-star prospect at the last minute. Davis also ran the ball more than anything else in high school, but his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and athleticism make him a game-changing tight end in offensive coordinator Paul Petrino's eyes. "I don't think there's any question he's a very, very athletic, talented guy," Zook said in the Daily Herald. "We told him at the beginning of recruiting, he could be a tailback. As I told him and his family, he's a guy you want to get the ball in his hands."

DB Dondi Kirby (Gateway High, Monroeville, Pa.) -- Due to injuries and off-field issues, Illinois was paper-thin in the secondary last season. Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning wanted to address that issue in this class and Kirby, a four-star recruit, owns the highest profile of the five defensive backs Illinois signed. Kirby had offers from such giants as Ohio State, Florida and USC, but Illinois stuck with him after he missed his entire senior year with a knee injury. "He's a baller," Zook said.

QB Reilly O'Toole (Wheaton Warrenville South High, Wheaton, Ill.) -- While returning QB Nathan Scheelhaase has three more years of eligibility, Illinois wanted to supplement Scheelhaase's running skills and leadership qualities with a big-time thrower. O'Toole led his national powerhouse high school to back-to-back state titles and lost just one game in two years. As a senior, he threw for 42 touchdowns and just three interceptions as he hit 74 percent of his passes. "Big guy, physical guy, great arm," Zook said. "He can move. Run the option. He can do it all."

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