CHAMPAIGN - It's not unusual for head coach Ron Zook to be tossing and turning in his bed, restless about the status of University of Illinois football recruiting.

But with Wednesday being national signing day, he was more restless than usual. Would every recruit fax their signed National Letters of Intent? Which colleges were trying to steal his

better players? Would there be any 11th-hour crises?

"As I told my wife at about 5:15 this morning, if we're not worried then we're not recruiting the right guys," a weary but satisfied Zook said by Wednesday afternoon when he could unveil a list of 28 new Illini football players.

Despite having a 2-9 record in his first season on the job, Zook apparently was able to sell enough highly rated prospects on a bright future that this class ranked No. 4 among Big Ten teams and No. 27 nationally on the scout.com Web site.

"The top three teams in the Big Ten were Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State," Chicago-based recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "But Zook and his staff showed they know how to recruit. They did a very good job."

The centerpiece of the class is quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams of Chicago Vocational, who Lemming said could have an immediate impact.

"He's not a polished product at quarterback, but with his arm he can make plays even if he's making mistakes," Lemming said. "I think he has the strongest arm of any high school quarterback in the country."

Zook's recruiting class includes two quarterbacks, seven defensive backs, two tight ends, five offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, three wide receivers, four linebackers and a punter.

It includes two junior-college players who already are on campus as well as a transfer, offensive tackle Akim Millington, who played two seasons at the University of Oklahoma before leaving school in August when he was thrown into a tailspin by the death of his cousin.

Millington, who played for Oklahoma in the national championship game after the 2004 season, was horrified to learn of the death of his cousin, Dexter, with whom he had grown up in Trinidad.

"He was like my big brother," said Millington, a 6-foot-7, 320 pounder. "He suffered from epilepsy and fell overboard on a fishing expedition and drowned."

Millington pulled out of school, went to Oklahoma City and for two-and-a-half months, worked a construction job.

"Every day I reassessed my life," said Millington, who had attended Wheaton Warrenville North High School before choosing Oklahoma. "The job was hard. One day I dug an entire sewer main by hand in six-and-a-half hours. That's the day I decided I probably needed to get back in college."

After contemplating transferring to the University of Utah, where he knew the quarterback, and Illinois State, Millington decided Illinois would be his destination. He appealed to the NCAA and asked for a break on their transfer policy so he would be able to compete this fall.

"I didn't know what to think on the appeal," Millington said. "I was walking on egg shells, but I was realistic. I thought it was 50-50 and figured it was in the Lord's hands."

Then about three-and-a-half weeks ago, Millington received a phone call from Mike Locksley, Illinois' offensive coordinator, telling him the NCAA had ruled favorably on his case.

"I was so happy," Millington said. "Now every day I wake up and get a brand new start. I could put on pads and cleats and hit someone right now. It's just something you can't describe."

Zook is anxious to see Millington on the field where he'll be competing for a starting job.

But Zook expressed excitement up and down the list of signees. He has two promising tight ends in Michael Hoomanawanui of Bloomington and Jeff Cumberland of Columbus, Ohio, who recorded the best 40-yard dash time and vertical leap among tight ends at the Los Angeles NIKE Training Camp.

He also loaded up on defensive backs where Vontae Davis of Washington, D.C., Chris Duvalt of Lakeland, Fla., and Justin Sanders of Northeast Mississippi Junior College are the best bets to play early.

And a wide receiver group that includes Decatur's Marques Wilkins, Chris James of Chicago Morgan Park and Joe Morgan of Canton, Ohio are highly rated.

Wilkins graduated from MacArthur a semester early and is already enrolled at Illinois. That, Zook said, will give him an edge.

"It's not for everyone, but I really believe the kids who can come out early, it's a great advantage for them socially, athletically and education-wise.

"Marques was ready for it. He's a mature young man. His parents did a great job with him."

Zook said he was pleased with this class and said he's already working on the 2007 recruiting class.

"What a difference a year makes," said Zook, who arrived late last year after the firing of Ron Turner and had to scrape together a quickie class. "This is the first full year we've had to recruit and we're very excited about this class."

Zook said he expects some of the freshmen to contribute immediately.

"I've said this before and I've been criticized for it," Zook said. "I want a player to come in expecting to play. If he doesn't expect to play, he has no chance to play. There's a great opportunity to come in and play young here."

Despite adding 28 players, Zook did not add a single running back.

"That's the one spot we didn't address the way we would like to have," Zook said. "But there will be an all-out assault on running backs across the country, and it just so happens there are some pretty good running backs in the vicinity."

Mark Tupper can be reached at mtupper@herald-review.com or 421-7983.