Slightly colder on Thursday morning in Champaign with a decent wind blowing through Memorial Stadium. Kendrick Green was at practice walking around visiting with his former teammates and other members of the program. Below are my notes from Thursday morning's Illini practice.
- Marquez Beason was back at practice today with the WRs and wasn't in a green jersey
- QB depth chart changed a little on the back end: Peters, Williams, Robinson, Spann, Taylor today
- I didn't spend as much time watching QBs today, but Williams wasn't as sharp today as he had been the last few practices
- More drops from the WRs today when running routes
- Thompson had one from a pass from Williams that hit him in the stomach
- Two straight drops on balls that should have been caught directly followed Thompson drop
- Defensive backs worked in this order: Adams, Witherspoon, Smith Letizsey
- Offensive and defensive lines continue to hit full go in practice, good to see that physicality on a regular basis
- First string OL today was: Lowe, Jeresaty, Kramer, Philstrom and Pearl
- The staff hasn't really said much of anything on Verdis Brown throughout camp, which is interesting
- Was told by a source a week or so ago that RG is an open competition between several guys
- Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Pearl play RT to have Palczewski play RG this fall.
- Pearl fits the physical measurements of a guard a little better than Palczewski does
- First string OL today was: Lowe, Jeresaty, Kramer, Philstrom and Pearl
- WRs and DBs worked drills off the line of scrimmage again on Thursday
- Beason and Witherspoon got into a bit of a chirping match after one rep, those two are good friends so it's in good faith
- Navarro really burnt Kendall Smith off the line in one of the reps
- George McDonald had to blow the whistle several times and to mention "staying inside the line"
- Not sure if the line was considered out of bounds or just a guide for staying straight through the route
