When Illinois football head coach Lovie Smith was trying to recruit players to build the program’s culture, a player like wide receiver Ricky Smalling was what he had in mind.

Smalling’s competitiveness, work ethic and playmaking ability are all traits Smith easily brags about when discussing the sophomore wide-out.

All these qualities were showcased in Smalling’s freshman season with the Illini. Smalling tied with former Illinois receiver Malik Turner for a team-leading 31 receptions. He also led the team with 501-receiving yards and added two touchdown receptions. Smalling landed himself on the BTN.com All-Freshman team honorable mentions list as a result.

Smalling’s mentality heading into this season is to build upon these previous accomplishments.

“Just continue to build on off last season. That’s what my mindset is,” Smalling said. “Last year was just a foundation and I want to continue to get better and better every year.”

Illinois wide receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker said the biggest goal with Smalling is to continue to push him. After standing out last year and already setting himself apart as the No. 1 receiver, Hayes-Stoker wants to make sure complacency doesn’t set in for Smalling.

“Ricky just has to keep pushing himself to reach for the sky,” Hayes-Stoker said. “He’s shown that he can make plays and he knows that he’s made plays as a freshman. So, coming back to camp and you’ve been at camp for two and a half weeks now, you’re ready to move on and play an opponent. Just got to continue the mundane process of getting better and that grind. I’ve been happy with Ricky’s camp.”

In camp, Smalling has made his presence known. He’s proven to possess the best hands on the team and shown to be nearly unstoppable in 1-on-1 situations. Smalling’s knowledge of the offense and route running made him a quick first option for fifth-year transfer quarterback A.J. Bush.

The trust Bush already has in Smalling is easily noticeable. When the pocket collapses and Bush is forced to roll out to keep the play alive, his eyes are downfield looking for a receiver wearing a blue No.4 jersey. When he finds Smalling, he lobs up a jump ball and nearly every time, Smalling hauls it in.

It’s his job to make his quarterback look good in those situations, according to Smalling.

Strength and deceptive quickness are what Smalling thinks sets him apart from other receivers, but the confidence and natural swagger he’s had in himself since high school is another vital component of his game.

And Smalling isn’t afraid to show this confidence on the field.

During training camp, one day, the wide receivers and cornerbacks were going through 1-on-1 drills by the endzone. Smalling had cornerback Nolan Bernat defending him. Smalling made two quick moves to get separation and made an easy touchdown catch in the back of the endzone. He made it look like just another day at the office.

Afterwards, Smalling wanted more competition and walked over to cornerback Nate Hobbs – who many people around the program see as the top Illini cornerback -- on the sideline.

He pointed to Hobbs and told him, “I want you to run with me.”

The two lined up opposite of each other not shortly after. Smalling didn’t quite get the same separation against Hobbs then he did Bernat, but that didn’t stop Smalling from catching the exact same touchdown pass over him. He walked away looking like he didn’t even break a sweat.

It’s this type of confidence Smalling said is a requirement to have.

“I think you need that because if you drop a pass, you have to be able to pick yourself up. You have to be able to motivate yourself,” Smalling said. “You got to go out there and play. You can’t let anybody strip your confidence and you just have to be yourself by far.”

Smith is expecting Smalling’s confidence and physical abilities to be on full display this upcoming season.

“Playmaker. He’ll block, one of the toughest receivers you’ll go up against. One of the most competitive receivers,” Smith said. “Can jump, run, catch, run good routes and what I’ve seen too, studying the game as a receiver. Knowing what the defensive backs are being taught and how to set them up. Man-to-man coverage and things like that.”

The expectations are high for the receiver out of Brother Rice high school this year. Senior Mike Dudek seems to finally be healthy and the emergence of Sam Mays can take less pressure off Smalling and give him more room to operate. Both Smith and Hayes-Stoker see a big year ahead for Smalling and for him to eventually become one of the top receivers in the Big Ten.

Smalling doesn’t have any personal expectations for himself, just one goal at mind.

“Get more wins. That’s the most important thing,” Smalling said. “Do whatever I can to help the team win.”