Orange and Blue News football analyst Doug Bucshon answered questions from subscriber in the Illini football mailbag.

MORE: The Block I Report | Lovie should embrace role as face of he program | Illini crack top 10 for 4-star lineman | QB Eleby is high on the Illini

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Are we going land any of the top targets in the St. Louis area?

Illinois probably won’t hit a home run in St. Louis, but I think they will end up signing a couple of players much like 2017 when they landed Larry Boyd and Tony Adams, in addition to linebacker James Knight from the other side of the river.

There was a good vibe for several St. Louis kids early on and Illinois had them on campus for visits. Things seemed to cool somewhat as offers poured in from SEC and Big 12 programs. St. Louis is becoming more of an SEC town, and that’s bad news for marginal Big Ten schools like Illinois, especially with the unprecedented level of talent in the city and surrounding area.

Landing one of the top defensive lineman like Trevor Trout, Michael Thompson, or Ronnie Perkins would have been a huge boost, but that’s looking more and more unlikely. Wide receiver Cameron Brown popping early for Nebraska was also a disappointment.

Attention turns to big time linebacker Ayodele Adeoye, the No. 245 prospect overall in the class of 2018. One glance at his offer list would give the impression that Adeoye is out of reach, but the Illini have a good shot to win this one. Adeoye has the same high regard for Lovie Smith that we saw from offensive lineman Larry Boyd last year.

Illinois is also a major player for defensive back Dallas Craddieth and quarterback Kaleb Eleby. Craddieth put Illinois in his top 12, and they should make the cut when he trims it further. At this point, I think Illinois has some QB’s a bit higher on its board than Eleby. If they choose to prioritize him, Eleby could pop for the Illini.

There are also some other St. Louis prospects on the radar who haven’t been offered yet. We will see Chaminade offensive lineman Marcus Greer at the Rivals 3-Stripe Camp this weekend. Offensive tackle Nick Williams is teammates with Adeoye at Ritenour. He’s one to watch, among others.

Should we be concerned yet about the lack of commitments?

It’s okay to be concerned, but not yet time to panic. Illinois is being methodical in its approach to recruiting this year. While they have pushed for commitments for some kids they wanted, they aren’t going to reach for 2-star types until later this year and even in to 2018.

One thing that does throw up the red flag is the early commitments from in-state prospects that Illinois prioritized. There’s obviously a lot of talent around the country, and Illinois can find good players elsewhere. But it stung to lose top targets like defensive end Devin O’Rourke (Northwestern), Quincy Patterson (Virginia Tech), Greg Newsome (Northwestern), and Luke Ford (Arkansas).

One thing to consider is that due to the Saban rule, head coaches can't be on the road recruiting during the spring evaluation period. Lovie Smith is the Illini’s best recruiter, and they have more success with recruits after they take campus visits and have a chance to spend one-on-one time with the Illinois head coach.

Things are about to pick up. Camp season is coming up in June, and the Illini staff will have a chance to interact with prospective recruits in a football setting. They can then start locking in some official visits, which can begin on the first day of school this fall. If the commitment list is still woefully thin by mid-July, then it may be time to get nervous. But even then, there are some prospects at the top of the board who will be deciding late.

Is there a method to the madness with all these offers out in California, Texas, and Florida?

While the plethora of new offers around the country may look random, Illinois coaches have been out on the road during the evaluation period visiting with the newly offered prospects. This staff typically doesn’t extend offers until they see a kid in person, whether it’s during a campus visit or while evaluating players at their high schools.

Illinois has hit the three states that you mention very hard, with multiple coaches making trips to recruiting hotbeds in each state. Hardy Nickerson was in his old stomping grounds in California, along with OC Garrick McGee. The Lone Star state was hit by McGee and Texas native Andrew Hayes-Stoker. Thad Ward and Paul Williams have spent time in Florida at familiar places where the Illini have established strong bonds.

Many of the offers in these three talent-laden states seem like long shots, but you can’t win if you don’t play. Illinois landed two 4-star players from Florida power Miami Central in the class of 2017 in wide receiver Carmoni Green and defensive end Owen Carney. While they struck out in Texas, Illinois now has a presence in the state and will once again have coaches at a camp in the Dallas area in June.

It takes some patience and due diligence to get a feel for which kids you have a legit shot at, and getting them in Champaign for a visit is a huge key. Keep an eye on which prospects from California, Texas, and Florida take visits to Illinois this summer and fall.

Is there a pattern in the offers the staff has out there that would explain the relative lack of in-state offers?

A little background first. Illinois has (so far) offered 14 2018 prospects from the state of Illinois. That’s roughly half of the typical number of in-state athletes that Illinois has traditionally offered in any given year. 28 prospects from Illinois currently hold Big Ten offers, and 20 of them are committed including two to Illinois.

Lovie Smith and his staff are being more selective this year because it’s a much smaller class. Eight seniors graduate next spring. Considering the typical amount of attrition, the 2018 class will likely include about 15 signees. They want to make sure they get bang for their buck.

The offer list should grow a bit following camp season in June. There are a handful of Illinois prospects that the staff is keeping a close eye on, and I would expect some new offers to kids who have good showings in camp.

How does the offense evolve when tooled around a running QB?

I don't necessarily think Illinois is looking for a “running quarterback”, per se. They want a guy who can make all the throws. But having a QB under center who can use his legs opens things up exponentially in both the running game and passing attack.

With an immobile pocket passer at quarterback, Illinois has been too easy to defend. Linebackers had one runner in the backfield to key on, and they could get a deep drop in their pass coverage. Defenses could blitz without the fear of getting burned if the QB tucks it and runs. The passing game relied on receivers getting separation and the QB delivering the ball from the pocket, but this group needs a schematic advantage and an added wrinkle.

Illinois has also been asking way too much from its offensive line, a group that hasn’t been built for a power running game. Pass protection has been serviceable, but it adds an entirely different dimension when the quarterback can turn a potential sack into positive yards.

‘Dynamic’ is the watch-word. The ideal fit for Garrick McGee’s offense is a passer who is also an athlete who can make plays with his feet. It gives the play-caller many more options. You can combine west-coast and option schemes that widen the playbook and puts pressure on the defense.

One word of caution, however. When the quarterback becomes the centerpiece of an offense, there’s also the potential for more negative plays. The responsibilities of a dual-threat quarterback are complex. Whoever lines up under center must be more than an athlete, he must also be a good decision-maker.

Of the quarterbacks that currently hold an Illinois offer, I’m highest on 3-star Cordel Littlejohn from Roswell (GA). He can flat out spin the ball, and has enough athleticism to be considered a dual-threat. Newly offered Alan Bowman from Grapevine (Texas) is more of a pro-style QB, but he’s a solid athlete who wouldn’t be a sitting duck in the pocket.

What are your strength of the team next year on both sides of the ball?

Illinois should make some strides with its rushing defense. An identity as a hard-hitting team began to emerge last season, even though Illinois yielded nearly 220 rushing yards per game (12th in the Big Ten).

Plug-and-play JUCO transfer Del’Shawn Phillips adds another dimension to an emerging linebacker corps that will be coached by Hardy Nickerson this year. Tre Watson is the leading returning tackler (102 tackles) and is a sure starter. Dele Harding, a top recruit in 2016, will battle Julian Jones and Jake Hanson for the other starting spot. Even with the loss of NFL signee Hardy Nickerson, this should be an improved group.

I also like the way the secondary is shaping up, though it’s still very thin. Senor-to-be cornerback Jaylon Dunlap can the hold edge, and the young safeties helped to give the group an identity that’s typical of Lovie Smith’s defenses. They will have to cover well, because the pass rush doesn’t look very strong.

On the other side of the ball, the running game needs to be a team strength if the Illini are to have some success and push for bowl eligibility. The projected starter at quarterback Chayce Crouch isn’t known as a gunslinger.

There probably aren’t any superstars in the offensive backfield, but Illinois has some depth at running back. Once considered a future star, Ke’Shawn Vaughn struggled as a sophomore and elected to transfer to Vanderbilt. There’s now no doubt who the starter is. Kendrick Foster surprised everyone last year and is undervalued because of this diminutive stature. Reggie Corbin, Dre Brown, and Tre Nation are joined by highly regarded freshmen Mike Epstein and Ra’Von Bonner. That's a nice group if they develop as expected.

How much impact do you think the facilities have on recruiting? Are we losing recruits because of it?

Some. It’s hard to gauge for sure how much. It’s something kids notice, but I’ve never had a kid tell me he wasn’t considering Illinois because the facilities were subpar. It’s one of the many things a school can sell to prospective recruits. Winning on the field and relationships with coaches are still the most important aspects of recruiting.

That said, there’s no doubt that Illinois needs to show a commitment to the football program that it can sell to recruits, and that means improving the facilities that are available to student-athletes. Illinois is behind schools that they are directly recruiting against.

Things change quickly when it comes to the facilities of major college sports teams. It wasn’t all that long ago that Illinois was touting its weight room as the largest football-only facility in all of CFB, and the Ubben basketball facility was nearly state of the art. Now, facilities in both sports need a major upgrade to keep up with other programs in the Big Ten Conference.

The Illinois Athletic Department operated in the red last year. Still, Illinois has plans for a $132 million project to renovate the south end zone at Memorial Stadium and build new football facilities. The designs have gone through some changes since first announced last October, and what the final product will look like is still up in the air. The football facilities may be in the south end zone, or in a stand-alone building connected to the Irwin Indoor facility.

Are there offensive linemen that we're at least competitive and with a chance of landing?

Illinois wants to sign at least three offensive linemen in the 2018 class, and possibly more. Guys to watch include Braeden Daniels from Carrolton (Texas) Hebron, Briason Mays from Boliver (Tenn.), Troy Ingle from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage, Raiqwon O’Neil from Conway (SC), and William Dunkle from Chula Vista (Calif.) Eastlake.

Can Dudek be just as effective pre-injury?

Maybe, because he’s such a competitor. I think he gets most of his straight-line speed back, and he will of course still have vice-grip hands. But it’s his quick-cut and leaping ability that really made Dudek such a unique weapon.

Despite not being very big, he could high-point the ball, and his ability to cut on a dime screamed ‘NFL draft pick’. It’s yet to be seen if that returns after two major surgeries. If Mikey can be 80 to 90 percent of what he was a freshman, then he’s still a very good receiver.

When should we expect QB Dwayne Lawson to arrive? Do you have an approximate date where we should be concerned?

For training camp in August at the earliest. If he needs another semester to graduate, then he’ll be at Illinois for the spring semester of 2018.

Any surprise red-shirt freshmen or sophomores that we can expect an impact from?

We wrote about two redshirt freshmen in the spring – tight end Griffin Palmer and center Doug Kramer. They both have a chance to start.

The Illinois defensive has a nice group of sophomores including safeties Patrick Nelson and Stanley Green, cornerback Cameron Watkins, linebackers Dele’ Harding and Jake Hanson, and defensive linemen Jamal Milan and Kenyon Jackson. They will make a substantial impact as a group.

Any incoming freshman that you think will have that "wow" factor.

Wide receiver Ricky Smalling has a chance to make a splash. He’s physical and a polished route runner. I’m also anxious to see running back Ra’Von Bonner and tight end Louis Dorsey. I thought they were both a little underrated in high school.

Defensively, the staff has always been high on defensive end Bobby Roundtree. One or more of the freshman defensive linemen are going to have to play meaningful snaps this year, and Roundtree is a prime candidate.

Who is the next commitment? Any time frame?

It’s a crap shoot, but with a gun to my head I’ll say St. Louis QB Kaleb Eleby. I think it’s just a matter of Illinois moving him up the priority list, which could happen later this summer.

Other candidates are the two kids from Chicago Marist tight end TJ Ivy and defensive lineman Gavin McCabe.

Generally, a winning team has one thing that they can hang their hat on. What do you think that can be for Illinois this coming fall?

I don’t see anything offensively that really jumps out. If anything, it may be take-aways. The Illini have some hard hitters in the back seven of the defense who can jar the ball loose, and of course forcing turnovers is a staple of Lovie Smith defenses.

Judging from what you see of Lovie and the staff, where do you see this program in five years? Better, worse, or the same?

Better. I think they will continue to improve the overall team speed and athleticism, and I like the bulk they are adding in the trenches.

Getting a franchise quarterback is a huge key. I’m not sure they have landed that guy yet. Coran Taylor is a special athlete, but raw as a passer. They won’t take that next step until they get a top quarterback to plug into the offense.