The top three teams in the Big Ten were Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State. But Zook and his staff showed they know how to recruit. They did a very good job.
Quotes about zook (11 Quotes)
I don't think people think about Zook anymore at Florida. He's just a memory there now.
Zook did a masterful job of recruiting, especially considering Illinois was 2-9 last season and finished last in the Big Ten. Because the state was down, they went national with a positive, aggressive attitude.
If we get it, everybody would have been calling Zook a hero.
I see a group that's playing with a lot of energy. They have a lot of passion for what they're doing. They fly around. They play very hard. It's obvious coach Zook has done a good job of creating a mind-set of enjoying playing the game.
The first thing you notice about Ron (Zook) is that he is the ultimate high-energy guy. Losing like we had been doing takes a lot of energy out of your program. Ron has done a terrific job of selling himself and Illinois football. He and his assistants work as hard as any group I've ever seen.
He is succeeding through enthusiasm and aggressiveness in recruiting. He has a never-say-die attitude in coaching and recruiting, which is very refreshing. He has personality and flair. In the past, Illinois gambled a lot on juniors who didn't pan out. Zook will wait for great players to develop, then offer them. He will go after great players in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina and New Jersey. And he will hit the Midwest much harder, especially Ohio and Michigan.
The jury's still out on Illinois. For the most part, you can't rank classes until near signing day because so many schools load up at the end. They have a shot at having a good year. Good salesmen like Zook could do a really good job. They just have to wait for the out-of-state recruits to visit.
The main reason I chose Illinois was because of the coaching staff. They are different from other staffs. I felt more comfortable talking to them. Zook was the only head coach I talked to. Some schools offered scholarships but I never talked to the head coach.
They might have underestimated us. But after this game, teams won't do that with Illinois. This shows we can play with anybody. We have to learn how to finish a game. And with coach Zook, we'll be able to do that.
We've got kids who signed who never would have looked at the University of Illinois but are now interested in Illinois because of Coach Zook. That makes you proud. He's relentless on the recruiting road. I applaud that. That brings a lot of energy and excitement to the fans.