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OK, kids, here we go. My thoughts on the day, the recruiting season, the class, and a whole bunch of stuff I've been waiting to tell you. Go ahead and put your feet up for this one, maybe crack open a cold one. We may be here awhile:

* Zook told me that if they had gotten Jamie Harper, this would have been THE BEST signing class he had ever been associated with. That's right, ever. In more than 25 years of college coaching and being the primary builder of two Florida national championship rosters. The primary builder of a roster than just went to the Rose Bowl. He said none were going to compare with this one.

He said without Jamie, it still is AS GOOD AS any he has been around, period. I said, including all of them? He said, every one. Including the great Florida class that had Jarvis Moss and Leak and Reggie Nelson and Andre Caldwell and Marcus Thomas and all those good players. And including the Juice, Vontae, Travon, Cumberland, Antonio James, Chris James, Jerry Brown class at Illinois. In fact, he says this group is on par with those two, making these three the best he ever has been around.

* When I went to bed last night, I was pretty certain Liuget and Lewis were coming and Harper was going to Clemson, so I didn't pay a lot of attention in the morning. The only thing that made me nervous was the delay in Liuget sending his in.

Here is the deal: Corey and Zook are real close and Corey is a little prankster. Even after recommitting to Zook last Friday, Corey likes to mess with Zook. He called him Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Now this is Corey calling Zook, not the other way around. He would say, "Coach, I'm not sure, LSU looks pretty good." Then laugh. Zook would laugh and yell at him. The next day, the same thing, different school. "Coach, I've been thinking a lot about USF."

Finally, the last time, Zook, trying to stifle a laugh and to sound mad, said, "You think this is funny? We're here sweating." Corey was laughing. So I know Corey took his time sending it in, just to mess with him some more. Zook cracked up when it was the last one in. He told me, "Wait 'til I get ahold of him in camp. He's stuck with me now."

* Here is the deal with Harper. Last Wednesday, after Zook and Locks and Reggie and Disch visited him, he was leaning toward going to Illinois. Maybe leaning hard. Jamie hinted at that, but never said it. Jamie's dad seemed positive Illinois was going to be his choice. Pretty much said that is what he thought. Illinois coaches were excited, but guarded.

But Clemson was in on Thursday and did a good job making up some ground. Then after Jamie's trip to Miami, he pretty much knew he had to decide between Clemson and Illinois. That is when Clemson's ground forces sort of went to work.

Jamie is real, real close to Daniel Andrews, the safety at Trinity Christian that Clemson offered a scholarship to that didn't receive offers from a lot of note. Andrews' father, Dan, is very close to Jamie. Dan Andrews is a good man and holds Bible Study classes that both Jamie and Daniel attend that have been very good for Jamie.

Dan also has a cabin 40 minutes from the Clemson campus. He plans to spend a lot of time there when the two kids are in school at Clemson. Which, as a father, is absolutely his right. Nothing illegal in any of this, by the way. Just a bunch of very legal, very persuasive peer pressure.

I'm convinced that Jamie really, really, really thought hard about Illinois, and wasn't completely sure until today. But he just felt indebted to the Andrews' family, I believe that, as well as a need to stay near them. Not saying he didn't go to a good school -- Clemson is a good school with a good program. But the friendship with the Andrews family had a great deal to do with that.

For the record, Zook wasn't going to offer a kid who he didn't think was good enough to play at Illinois just to get another player. This is no knock on Daniel Andrews, who by all accounts is, like Jamie, a really nice kid and damn good high school football player. But Zook believed that wouldn't be fair to Jamie, Daniel or the kid who didn't get a schollie that deserved one.

* The night the staff visited Jamie in Jacksonville was the same night Locks found out he wasn't getting Kenny Tate. He was devastated. That was the one he really wanted, a D.C. kid with incredible size and skills to complement his other D.C. kid with all the same stuff.

* The staff absolutely fell in love with Corey Lewis down the stretch, but were worried they got to the party a little late, which almost never happens with this staff. Zook asked Corey, "Why did you commit to Virginia?" Corey said, "Because I was afraid I wasn't going to get any other offers." Zook said, "Why did you decommit?" Corey said, "Because once other offers started coming in, I realized I needed to take my time and make a choice."

And with that, began the re-recruitment of a player Zook told me was "as good a prospect (at left tackle) as any I've ever seen." I said, "Ever?". Zook said, Frank, this guy is the real deal. 6-7, athletic as hell, quick feet, great kid, can carry a lot of weight, angular and agile. NFL left tackle. ... They really, really, really wanted him.

Then Penn State did a great job recruiting him, too, and became the team to beat other than Illinois. In the end, getting this one was a big hit for the Illini.

So I asked Zook if Lewis could play year one. He said, maybe, but the big thing is he really sets them up for the future at that spot. He also said, regarding next year, Illinois has two unbelievably good linemen already there in this class. I knew about Pocic being so good he may play this year. But Jeff Allen?

Zook said you better watch that guy. He is 320 pounds, almost 6-4, fast and tough as hell. Center/guard type who will push them all in the spring.

* At tight end, the real recruiting fight was for Hubie Graham. Penn State was really mad he went to Illinois and somebody associated with Notre Dame popped off again about Illinois, again because they were getting someone the Irish really wanted. The joke in the Illinois office is that even if they didn't get Graham, who is really good, he probably was going to Penn State, not Notre Dame, any way.

Graham is the real deal. I think he is the second team tight end right away -- and in two tight end sets will play opposite Mike H. Tough, scrappy, fast, good hands, etc.

London Davis is a big, physical guy, but not nearly as far along as Graham. He will be a blocking tight end, could grow into a defensive lineman before it's over. Picture a bigger, stronger Dallas Clark.

* This is the best corps of wide receivers Zook ever has signed. Fason is a five-star, Scott and Jenkins are both four stars and Sykes is the sleeper in the group. It is not a surprise that the Illini tapped the speed-rich state of Florida for three of the four and stole the other one from Ohio State.

Scott and Jenkins are a hair better than Sykes, but Sykes has a six-month head start, meaning all three are in the mix for playing time. I firmly believe two of the three, if not all of them, will play this year.

* Not counting Fason, Liuget is the best player they signed. He is up to 287 pounds and probably will be a tackle, not an end. He likely will be in the rotation this year and could be second team. Assuming Linquist and Brent start, Illinois now has created competition for the backup spots that includes Sirod Williams, maybe the strongest guy on the team, DeAngelo McCray, the most agile 334-pound athlete you've ever seen, Darryle Ballew, who better pick up the pace, and two outstanding freshmen in Liuget and Ellis.

Having said all of that, the lineman with the most upside may be Mercillus. When coaches saw his wing span, vertical jump, overall quickness in drills, he became one of their most important priorities. Zook told me he will be a combination of Will Davis' speed and explosiveness and Jerry Brown's length and reach and speed. Wow.

* This is the first time since Zook has been there that they have brought in this many physical defensive backs who will play right away. Two years ago, Vontae and Travon both were physical first year guys; last year, they had Miami Thomas who played very well right away, but wasn't physical, and Darius Purcell, who is tough as nails but wasn't ready.

But this year, Patrick Nixon, Supo Sanni, Ashante Williams and, of course, Donsay Hardeman, are all big and physical for their positions. All pack a punch. That was important with three hard-hitting safeties leaving. It also increases your size at cornerback.

* Speaking of positions, currently on the Illinois board, there are some positions that surprised me a bit. As of right now, Ramsey is an inside receiver (I was expecting defensive back); Sanni is indeed a safety (I thought he would start out at linebacker); Tavon Wilson is at safety (I was thinking corner); Liuget is at tackle (I thought he at least would start out at end).

If Sanni and Wilson stay at safety, combined with Hardeman, it will be the best safety haul in the history of safety hauls.

* Coaches love LeShoure and think he will play early and often, but aren't sure where. Zook compares him to Terry Jackson at Florida, who was a tailback, fullback, receiver out of the backfield, special teams player, etc. LeShoure is like that. "Can't have enough guys like that on your team," Zook told me.

I think if Ford makes grades, they think he is an explosive tailback type, and LeShoure will play both fullback and tailback and plenty of third down back. But regarding pass catching out of the backfield, Pollard and Dufrene are very good at that as well.

But even though coaches can't talk about it, I don't think it is a secret that all attention at running back now goes to this Crabtree kid in or near St. Louis. If there is any silver lining to finishing second for Harper, they do know if they had gotten him, Crabtree wasn't coming. Now maybe he will.

* Zook admitted the one thing they now have to do in the next recruiting class is go find linebackers. Look for them to sign a boatload of those next year. That is the area where depth is needed.

* Dimke could get the final scholarship. He agreed to come to Illinois without one the first year, but Zook told him if he could manage it, he would make it happen. Not decided yet, but when Zook talked about possibly one more guy at his presser, that is to whom he was referring.

For the record, they really think Dimke is good. And the kid is amazingly confident, which is really, really important for a kicker.

Finally, I did get a kick out of some of the players who wound up places and it looked like they beat Illinois. Like offensive lineman David Young, who signed with Florida and some sites said picked Florida over Illinois. Folks, the Illini cut David Young loose over a month ago.

And it was Illinois who canceled Brandon Harold's trip to Champaign. For a myriad of reasons not worth discussing, just didn't think he was a good fit.

Chris Harper, a really good football player, would have come to Illinois if they had promised to never move him from quarterback. The Illini wouldn't promise that -- they promised him a fair shot at qb, but said he had to move if it didn't work out.

There others -- Flash, Compton, Tate, obviously Harper -- that they got beat on. But not many.

Overall, it was a spectacular recruiting year. Absolutely spectacular.

And now I'm tired. ... I think that's everything.

Hope you enjoy.

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Originally posted by taxpayer:
Notre Dame I think has ranked in the top 10 in recruiting over the last ten years or so see where it has gotten them. Every year the Detroit Lions and the Oakland Raiders have gotten the top five picks in the Draft and what has that gotten them.

If Zooks recruiting classes where so great at Florida how come he was fired.

Tony Romo was undrafted Rex Grossman was what a first round pick .

Tom Brady was a sixth round pick . The list goes on.