Best of ... Illini
No. 23: Chris James, DB
Why he's important: The Orange, Texas, native is one of the few upperclassmen in the Illinois secondary, giving an otherwise young group a little veteran leadership. James has also carved out a niche for himself in the defensive backfield as the Illini's nickelback in five defensive back formations. That role emerged last season after the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder started four of Illinois' first five games at cornerback. James set a career high with two pass breakups in the season opener against Murray State and followed that performance by making a career-high six tackles in consecutive games against North Carolina and Western Michigan.