Best of ... Illini
No. 27: Cameron Watkins, DB
Why he's important: There isn't exactly a wealth of experience among the Illinois secondary. It's a fairly young position group made younger by Illini coach Lovie Smith adding four defensive backs in his first recruiting class. That makes Watkins, who played in nine games and made two starts last season after redshirting in 2015, a potential key part of the Illinois defense. The Nashville, Tenn., native worked himself into a more prominent role late last season before finishing with 21 tackles and three pass break-ups that came in consecutive games against Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa.