Scrimmage may be good barometer

RANTOUL -- Illinois' fortnight of football solitude 15 miles north of Memorial Stadium concludes with Saturday's full scrimmage.

That should crystallize just how ready the Illini are for the Sept. 1 opener against Big 12 North favorite Missouri.

Several important players should be unavailable for the scrimmage, including top slot receivers Arrelious Benn (shoulder) and Chris James (knee ligament) and impressive freshman defensive tackle Josh Brent (sprained knee).

While these injuries have been unfortunate, they've come at a time when the Illini could most afford them.

For example, if Benn and James hadn't been hurt in Saturday's scrimmage, then Illinois never would have moved freshman Brian Gamble from safety to slot receiver on Monday.

Gamble, who hails from fabled prep powerhouse Massillon (Ohio) Washington High School, has been a revelation at his new spot with his sure hands and speed.

Juniors Will Judson and Greg McClendon are the only healthy players ahead of Gamble on the depth chart, though he seems to be moving up on a daily basis.

"The offensive coaches are excited about it," said third-year coach Ron Zook. "I'm excited about it. He's excited about it, which is the most important thing. He made a couple big-time catches (Wednesday)."

It's not like Gamble needed an introduction to offense. Initially recruited by Illinois as a running back, he caught 56 passes in high school for 991 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Edwards steps up: Illinois played 16 true freshmen last season, but Downers Grove North product Garrett Edwards wasn't one of them.

He arrived in Champaign with a bum shoulder, which made it relatively easy for the Illini to redshirt him.

Edwards has made up for lost time this fall by jumping onto the depth chart. Sporting a more muscular 205-pound frame (up from 191 last fall) he's practicing as a second-string safety as well as a first-stringer as the dime back in the team's "dollar" package.

"I came in last year and I was less confident," Edwards said. "Now I feel more confident this year. I've gotten bigger, faster, stronger and I think that's shown."

Fun with punting: Last season, Illinois finished 117th out of the 119 Bowl Subdivision teams with 29.4 net yards per punt.

That prompted an unprecedented competition during the spring and fall.

"I don't remember having three punters at a camp before," Ron Zook said.

Incumbent Kyle Yelton and second-year walk-on Jared Bosch find themselves in a battle with transfer walk-on Anthony Santella.

Santella, a 2006 Wauconda graduate, spent last fall as Utah's backup punter. (Utah led the nation in net punting).

Because Santella was a walk-on who never participated in a game for the Utes, NCAA rules allowed him to transfer to Illinois without sitting out for a year.

While Yelton is the only punter with a scholarship, Santella has been the most consistent this fall. During last week's scrimmage, he boomed a hanging 53-yarder that benefited from a slight wind.

"I'm kind of close (on a decision), but I'm not ready to say who's going to be out there," Zook said. "I think that's the great thing. You've got the competition. They're all punting under pressure."