Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights three noteworthy items from Friday’s practice:
Not giving up
Brian Hightower’s debut season at Illinois in 2020 saw the Miami transfer become a top target in what was still a fairly anemic passing attack with three quarterbacks all earning a start. Hightower caught 11 passes for 209 yards and tied Josh Imatorbhebhe for the team lead with three touchdowns. Then a shoulder injury sidelined him early in the 2021, and he seemed to fall out of favor with then offensive coordinator Tony Petersen even when healthy.
Hightower ultimately took a redshirt in 2021 and decided to return to Illinois for the 2022 season despite last year’s struggles. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver should be a factor in the passing game again.
“I believe in what coach (Bret) Bielema is doing here, the culture,” Hightower said. “My teammates, I never wanted to give up on them. It was, without a doubt, that I would come back here. I never wanted to give up on myself. I know what I’m capable of. I’ve done it before, and I know I can keep going and do it again.”
‘Just like a giraffe’
Devon Witherspoon might have one starting cornerback spot locked down and Tahveon Nicholson might be the frontrunner for the other, but the Illinois secondary could have an infusion of true freshmen talent. Both Bielema and cornerbacks coach Aaron Henry have mentioned freshmen Tyson Rooks, Elijah Mc-Cantos and Xavier Scott as impressing in training camp. Rooks, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound cornerback out of St. Simons Island, Ga., has drawn the most praise.
“Tyson’s very athletic, but he’s got to continue to mature and build his body,” Nicholson said. “I would say Tyson is just like a giraffe that came out the womb. He’s real lanky, but he’s got a great skill set and he’s going to be perfect. He’s really going to be perfect.”
Time to lead
The measurables are all there for Julian Pearl. Solid athlete. Great length. Physical. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room to grow for the former Danville standout turned Illinois offensive lineman. As he continues to gain experience as the Illini’s starting left tackle, the coaching staff has challenged him to be more of a leader. To channel his inner Vederian Lowe — the long-time starter at left tackle he’s replacing.
“He was a young player that was very talented that was playing on a line with Doug Kramer, (Alex Palczewski) and Verderian (Lowe),” Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller said. “He never had to be thrust into that. Now he is a veteran player and he is an older guy that needs to take on that. We’ve challenged him to do that over the course of the summer.
“Honestly, the first two days I was not pleased with him in camp, but then he just turned it on and has really played well, practiced well. He worked on some of his technique flaws from last season. It’s fun to see him grow and mature in that light.”
Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
