Critics have questioned his game planning, chuckled at his unabashed enthusiasm and wondered -- loudly -- why he couldn't win more consistently while running the show at the University of Florida. For all of his shortcomings, however, there has always been one area where Zook has excelled: The recruiting trail.
Zook proved that once again in February. In another remarkable recruiting effort, the Illinois coach out-dueled some of the nation's biggest and most powerful programs to win commitments from recruits that, a couple years back, may not have even given Illinois a look. The result was a a 23-member recruiting class that ranked among the best classes in the Big Ten.
Scout.com ranked Zook's latest group at No. 20 in the country, while Rivals.com placed it No. 23.
Hard Work Pays Off: When Zook arrived in Illinois before the 2005 season, the Illini were in disarray -- and Zook was looking at a major rebuilding job.
Illinois was the worst team in the Big Ten, with holes all over the roster. Fan support was lagging, too. It was a program in crisis. That's when Zook got to work, hitting the recruiting trail to sell his program even to the most sought-after recruits in the nation.
Remarkably, he succeeded, snaring in his first full recruiting season such high-profile talents as receiver Aurellius Benn and quarterback Juice Williams, both of whom were coveted by such heavy hitters as Notre Dame, Ohio State and Florida.
The efforts paid off quick: In just over two years, Zook has built Illinois into a true contender. Last season, the Illini stunned the college football world with a late-season upset of then-No. 1 Ohio State that propelled them to the Rose Bowl. Zook and his young team lost that game, badly, to a great USC squad
Even still, Illinois' remarkable season sent a clear message to the college football world: Zook was going to be a thorn in everyone's side for years to come.
Size Up Front: With Benn, Williams and others back for 2008, Illinois isn't short on skill players.
But for all the improvements Zook has made in the program since his arrival, the Illini still lack depth -- and size -- up front. The problem was obvious in the blowout loss to USC. Illinois wasn't just outrun, but out-muscled.
Zook recognized the problem and used his most recent class to correct it. The most highly rated players in the group were linemen: Defensive end Corey Liuget had offers from Florida State, LSU and Miami while massive offensive tackle Graham Pocic chose Illinois over Michigan, Florida, Penn State and others. Fast, talented defensive tackle Reggie Ellis, meanwhile, may be able to contribute right away -- provided he bulks up a bit.
The Mendenhall Question: Zook didn't ignore the skill positions entirely in his latest class, of course.
He signed up two of the best wideouts in the country in speedster A.J. Jenkins and the Benn-like Cordale Scott. The signing of Scott was particularly impressive, given the receiver played his high school ball at Cleveland's Glenville High School, which, under the guidance of coach Ted Ginn Sr. (father of former Ohio State star Ted Ginn Jr.) has been nothing short of a Buckeye feeder program in recent years. Scott's decision to spurn the Buckeyes in favor of Illinois was, in a word, stunning.
There's just one shortcoming in Zook's class. With the departure of the spectacular Rashard Mendhenhall to the NFL, Illinois lacks a big-time threat at tailback. It doesn't appear Zook filled that hole with this class, though. Incoming tailbacks Mikel Leshoure and Jason Ford are good talents, but they weren't top targets and aren't likely to make an immediate impact in the bruising Big Ten.
Looking Ahead: Pending an unexpected surprise, tailback figures to be a position Zook will be focused on heading into next recruiting season. And with good reason: For the Illinois spread offense to work, it needs a great tailback.
Even still, Zook seems focused, for now, on adding more bulk to his offensive and defensives lines. He's already got three players committed to his 2009 class, and they're all linemen. Even better, the three players -- defensive tackle Lendell Buckner, offensive tackle Leon Hill and defensive end Melvin Fellows -- are all ranked among the best in the nation at their positions.
