The safety position is one that fans often ask about. While the Illini faithful can rest easy knowing Donsay Hardeman's neck injury hasn't slowed him down much, the other safety spot seems to be up in the air. My guess is that junior Garret Edwards will get the nod for that first play against Missouri. Edwards may not have the athletic ability that sophomore Supo Sanni has, but he has the experience. Coach Zook has said many times that this year's defense must cut down on the big plays, and we all know that Missouri has been a big play offense over the last few years. Sanni did however receive work with the first team, and the coaches love to get in his ear after every play. You can tell that as the year goes on the staff would like to see Sanni challenge Edwards for time.
With the recent news of Terry Hawthorne's switch to defense, the time spent scouting him at wide receiver leaves me with little information about his hopes of playing time. I do know however that everything people have been saying about his athleticism is true. Surgery from a broken hand kept Hawthorne in a red "no tackle" jersey for most of Rantoul, but the word is that it is a precaution and he should be just fine by Sept. 5.
Joelil Thrash has been a very pleasant surprise this camp. The freshman defensive back out of Washington D.C. Woodson (the same school as QB Eddie McGee, DB Tavon Wilson, and LB Evan Frierson) got plenty of coaching just as Sanni did. He isn't the biggest player on the field, but he again is the breed of athlete that Zook has been bringing to Illinois. His cuts are quick and smooth, he just needs some time in the weight room and coaching.
A great match up to watch in the one-on-one receiving drills is wide receiver Cordale Scott against defensive back Dere Hicks. Hicks is listed at 5'10", 175 lbs. Scott on the other hand comes in at 6'4" 215 lbs. Advantage Scott. But somehow the out-sized Hicks fought for position and broke up some good passes. Scott won the jump balls for the most part, and I think that is where he will flourish in the college game. He not only has the height but also has long arms which he needs to use to snatch the ball out of the air and not wait for it to come to his body. Jeff Cumberland needs to get better at this as well, but at 6'5" 255 lbs. he has even more size to simply muscle for position.
In an interview with Chris Duvalt, IlliniBeat learned that his move from defensive back to wide receiver is something he wishes he had done freshman year. "It's a comfort thing," Duvalt explained, "I just feel like receiver comes naturally for me." Joining a corps which includes seniors Cumberland and Chris James as well as juniors, All-American Rejus Benn and promising Florida transfer Jarred Fayson, Duvalt also feels that he has been able to help the young guys mature.
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