Illinois among teams headed for better days
Top five programs that appear to be headed for brighter days in the coming years:
* Illinois: Ron Zook seems to be a very polarizing figure nationally, but you can't deny the fact that he gets players. It only took him two seasons to get big-time talent, including a stellar 2007 class of 21. Arrelious Benn of Washington, D.C., seems to be a clear-cut star as a receiver as he was ranked No. 3 nationally in the 2007 class and chose Illinois over Florida State and Notre Dame.
* North Carolina: Former University of Miami and Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis has plenty of momentum going for him at his new digs in Chapel Hill. He has a great basketball program to get help from, improved facilities and the fast track on several recruits. Davis had some major surprises during the last singing day as he landed versatile athlete Greg Little, who had committed to Notre Dame, and standout receivers Rashad Mason and Dwight Jones Jr..
* Virginia: Al Groh, now in his sixth season, has always seemed to get his program on the cusp of greatness. With an injection of talent in the coming years, he might finally be able to get over the hump. After a 5-7 mark during his first campaign, Groh led the Cavaliers to four consecutive winning seasons and seems to have a better handle on area talent. A top-25 class in 2007, including five 4-star talents on defense, can help propel this team to another level in the seasons to come.
* North Carolina State: Former Boston College coach Tom O'Brien is going to have some growing pains, but he knows how to win and get players to buy into a disciplined and physical style of ball. He also is a big advocate for strong academics. Brandon Barnes, a 2008 Rivals.com 5-star receiver, could help immediately. He took a big chance on this program, as he also had offers from Penn State, Tennessee and other powers.
* Central Florida: Now is the time for this program to finally find some kind of identity. George O'Leary has finally moved on from providing false information on his resume, an act that cost him the Notre Dame job. The former Georgia Tech head coach and Minnesota Vikings assistant has plenty to look forward to in his fourth year at UCF. There's finally a new stadium, and opportunities -- if there's success this year -- to dip into the deep Florida talent pool. A decent showing at home against Texas on Saturday could give recruiting a big boost.
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