Illinois senior wide receiver Eddie McGee has also played at quarterback throughout his time as a Fighting Illini. He even started over Juice Williams last season when the quarterback was benched. Now, he's dabbling in a little bit of everything.

At Big Ten Media Day in August, McGee sat down with the Daily to talk about the upcoming season.

The Michigan Daily: Your coach Ron Zook might be on the hot seat, what do you think of that?

Eddie McGee: Hopefully, God willing, this season will get people back on his side. Because he’s a good coach. We all know that. We all trust in coach and believe in coach. We know inside the locker room what needs to be done. And what hasn’t been done. It’s not entirely all on coach Zook’s shoulders.

TMD: You’ve played both wide receiver and quarterback, how has playing QB helped you at wide receiver?

EM: It’s helped a lot, mentally. I can recognize certain coverages or certain blitzes and understand what my route needs me to do. In this offense that I’m in, I can stop my route and I can recognize that pre-play and adjust my route accordingly.

TMD: What was your relationship with Juice Williams like last year? You started at quarterback when he was benched.

EM: I talked to Juice last night. That’s my best friend. That’s my guy. We talk all the time. He’s supposed to help me move into my new apartment when I get back. That’s my man.

TMD: Were you nervous starting at quarterback last season?

EM: There’s butterflies and stuff like that, but I wasn’t nervous during the game. I was confident and I didn’t play as well as I wanted to. Things happen, but I wasn’t nervous.

TMD: Was the decision to stick at wide receiver coach Zook’s decision?

EM: No, it was my decision. Me and coach Zook had a long talk about it. It was a gradual process. I thought long and hard about it for a while and just made the best decision for myself and the team as well.

TMD: What went into that decision, what did you and coach Zook talk about?

EM: Since my junior year, I’ve been playing quarterback and receiver. I’ve been going back and forth. I think two years ago I played four or five games and last year I played the whole season. I just really didn’t have a lot of film as quarterback. And I just wanted to really have a solid year as receiver, so I could show, scouts or whoever, my versatility.

TMD: So you think you have a better shot of making the NFL as a receiver than a quarterback?

EM: Anytime you can show a versatile repertoire, then you’re more valuable. So I think that’s huge. And you look at guy’s like (former Missouri quarterback) Brad Smith who was a quarterback in college, got to the NFL and now is a receiver and quarterback. So I just want to bring that aspect to whatever team might want me.

TMD: Maybe be a wildcat quarterback?

EM: Yeah something like that, yeah.

TMD: You guys lost Arrelious Benn to the NFL, how good is Illinois’s receiving core going to be in 2010?

EM: We’re a really strong group. A.J. Jenkins is amazing. Jerred Fayson is really good. We have myself and Jack Ramsey. You might want to look out for Jack Ramsey. Steve Hull who’s low on the radar, he red-shirted last year, but he’s really good. Chris James is a smart fifth-year senior. We have a lot of guys, a lot of good depth and we’ll be good.

TMD: Illinois had a disappointing season last year, but talk about that Michigan game on Halloween in Champaign, was that a bright spot?

EM: Any time you defeat a team with such a great stature as Michigan, it’s a bright spot. I think we beat them the last two years. But Michigan played a really good game, they never gave up. But we were just the better team on that day and hopefully it ends up that way this year too.

TMD: As a receiver, a guy's hands are usually his greatest asset. How good are yours?

EM: I think I have great hands. I think I have really great hands actually. I’m not afraid to go across the middle, jump for a ball, dive for a ball — whatever. I come down with most of the passes thrown my way.