Illini head coach Ron Zook doesn’t know if Terry Hawthorne will start on Saturday after the cornerback played in his first full game last Saturday against Michigan State.

What he does know is that he’ll need to use the sophomore a lot throughout the game.

“I don’t worry about who starts,” Zook said. “You are going to need all of those guys, particularly with the team like the one we’re playing this week. They are going to throw the football all over the park. All those guys are going to have to play and what you want to be able to do is keep them fresh.”

Zook said the coaching staff has worked Hawthorne at both cornerback positions and may use him to spell both Travon Bellamy and Justin Green, as Indiana is expected to throw throughout the game.

He said Hawthorne is having no problems with his right foot, which suffered a stress fracture the week before the Illini’s opening game against Missouri.

“I think you could see (he’s had) a little time off,” Zook said. “He will just continue to get better and better. He has been out of it for a while but he has had a great week of practice.”

Pro material?

Zook was asked at Tuesday’s press conference whether he thinks punter Anthony Santella looks like a professional punter.

“He does right now,” Zook said.

“His touch-to-toe’s been great, his block point has been great.”

Still, as Santella will say, credit has to be spread.

“I’ve said this many times, I think Zak Pedersen, the long snapper, is critical,” Zook said. “He knows where the ball’s going to be when it’s snapped and doesn’t have to worry about moving, and that’s big for those guys. The punter’s the guy who speeds up your operation, not the snapper.”