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The 2016 Big Ten Media Days will likely feature a swarm of press around new Illinois coach Lovie Smith, but he won't be the program's lone representative. The Fighting Illini have announced that senior quarterback Wes Lunt, senior defensive end Dawuane Smoot, and sophomore running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn are scheduled to attend the festivities in Chicago.
See which students will represent your team July 25-26 at the 45th Annual #B1GFootball Kickoff Luncheon #B1GMediaDay https://t.co/GXRtFkFtmt
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 7, 2016
Hey #B1GFootball fans: Preview the upcoming season & meet conference coaches. For tickets: https://t.co/Xm6IN8AKeO pic.twitter.com/Bl1I2rr1r1
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 6, 2016
It's no surprise that Lunt and Smoot were selected for this, but Vaughn's inclusion is relatively eye-opening because he'll be the only sophomore out of 42 total players. Media Days have traditionally been for select upperclassmen, so this is quite a vote of confidence from the coaching staff.
Big Ten Media Days will be held on July 25 and 26 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Lovie Smith and Illinois' three player delegates will all be made available for interviews.