Replacing Mikel Leshoure And The Illini 2011 NFL Draft Departures.

As you may have heard a few times this week, the Illini are experiencing an exodus of talent to the NFL, after three of their best players saw a shot at the big time and took it. This is great for them, obviously,  and  at the very least we know we are heading in the right direction, talent wise. On the other hand, the void left by Mikel Leshoure, Corey Liuget, and Martez Wilson is going to have to be filled by someone, and if the Illini want to continue their success in 2011, their replacements are going to have to step into some big shoes. Here are the some of the players that we all hope will step up to the plate in 2011.

Defensive Tackle/Defensive End: Corey Liuget  was one of the biggest reason that the defensive was so scary the first half of the season. He could shed blocks and disrupt offensive rhythm on just about every snap. He did his job  too well, I suppose and got himself a ticket to the draft as a result. Without Liuget up front, and departing senior Clay Nurse on the end, the Illini's pass rush could take a big hit in 2011. The starters who remain from that line DE Whitney Mercilus and DT Akeem Spence are going to have their work cut our for them as  they wont benefit from having Nurse or Liuget around to take up the OL's attention. Spence earned his stripes this season by being a great compliment to Liuget, and wound up on several freshman All America Teams. Nonetheless, Koenning needs Spence to take another big step forward next year for the Illini to stay stiff against the run.

Linebacker: Martez Wilson was obviously an up and down player as an Illini, fighting through injury but also dealing with  very high expectations. whatever your opinion on #2, you can't argue with his production this year. He led the team in tackles and his size and speed made him ideal for blitzes and hunting down speedy receiving tight ends and backs.  Ian Thomas hasn't had near as many expectations placed upon him, and he has flourished at linebacker as a result. Thomas  filled in for Wilson last season after Martez broke his neck and took another step forward this year playing alongside him. In his senior year, Thomas will likely be moved back into the middle and have a lot of plays funneled toward him. If anyone has benefited from the new defensive coaching staff it is Thomas, who has become one the most solid and brutal tacklers since Koennnig took over. (On a side note, if you haven't seen Ian's spot for the Big Ten Network this year, you should check it out)

Running Back: How do you replace the record holder for touchdowns in a season, yards in a season, and yards in a game? Well three years ago, we tried to do it with Daniel Dufrene, and two freshmen in Mikel Leshoure and Jason Ford. Now with another departing #5 running back, Jason Ford will once again have to try and step into a very big hole. Ford as we know, is a much different style of runner than Mikel. He is a power back that can plow through tackles and lay great pass blocks, but probably wont be breaking as many after burner runs as Leshoure. Ford is definitely going to be the primary back next year, and if Petrino's development of Nathan Scheelhaase and the receivers goes according to plan we wont need to lean on him near as much as we did Leshoure this past year. There are other options though that are returning to possibly change some pace from Ford's rumbling runs, including Troy Pollard, one of the last remaining Rose Bowl players, and Bud Golden, who has so far really only seen time on special teams. The Illini will also be adding a three star back from Texas in Donovonn Young, so expect at the very least some experimentation at the position when the Illini want some more speed.

Needless to say none of these names look like they will be nearly as impactful as the departing NFL crowd, but then again, heading into this season, none of those three really looked like they were in danger of jumping early, so who knows what could happen in an off season?