No. 29: Tre Nation, RB
Why he’s important: Illinois doesn’t have to look very far in its past to find a true freshman who became the go-to back. Ke’Shawn Vaughn filled that role admirably last fall, coming into his own during the month that Josh Ferguson missed during the season because of injury. Nation enrolled at Illinois this summer, so he didn’t get to go through spring practices, where Kendrick Foster and Reggie Corbin received reps behind Vaughn. With a renewed emphasis placed on the run game under Lovie Smith, Nation will likely see the field early during the season only with the outcome well in hand, if at all.