CHAMPAIGN, ILL. • As the head coach at Toledo, Tim Beckman was able to recruit the top rated classes in the Mid-American Conference for two consecutive years.

But with a late start at Illinois, where he took over for Ron Zook on Dec. 9, the results on the first day of the national signing period will be much different.

Illinois has 18 players committed, according to several recruiting websites, and ranks 10th and 12th in the Big Ten at Rivals.com and Scout.com respectively with several prospective recruits expected to announce decisions today.

Among the unknowns is Edwardsville defensive tackle Vincent Valentine, who will reveal his decision at 1 p.m. today. He said Tuesday he will choose between Illinois, Florida and Nebraska.

"It's been extremely busy," Beckman said Tuesday. "The reception has been huge. I've been in St. Louis. I've been in Chicago. I've been in Peoria. It's about trying to fit the people into your program that you believe in.

"If they were a Toledo recruit or not, it doesn't matter. Shoot, we almost beat Ohio State. We did beat Purdue a year ago. We had talent."

According to Rivals, the Illini have 14 three-star commitments, while ESPN.com rates only eight of their recruits with three stars.

Beckman and his staff have succeeded in Florida, picking up five commitments, while four are from Ohio and four from Illinois. Despite the sporadic hiring of assistant coaches, Beckman was able to split up recruiting areas early with four assistants assigned to Chicago and Chris Beatty and Tim Salem to St. Louis.

"They didn't pull off a whole lot," said recruit analyst Tom Lemming. "They could be at the bottom of the Big Ten but it's not a disaster. It's a good year to change coaches. They're not going to fall too far behind. He had no chance at the good players in Chicago because all of them were committed. This time next year we'll know if they're good recruiters or not."

Beckman's philosophy is to emphasize a five-hour radius around Champaign. However, he said his staff also has experience in Florida, Texas and Louisiana and will put effort in those areas in the future. In fact, he has spent considerable time working toward the class of 2013.

"We've had multiple weekends where we brought in the 2012 class and the next day we brought in the 2013 class,'' Beckman said. "It's very important for us to get out and be seen and showcase our new coaching staff."

If he chooses Illinois, Valentine would constitute one of Beckman's best catches. His most recent visit was to Illinois, where he had a chance to meet the new coaches after first being recruited by Zook's staff. The only holdover from that staff is defensive line coach Keith Gilmore.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder received interest and offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Alabama, Wisconsin, Missouri and Arkansas.

Illinois' most prominent recruit is Teko Powell, who is also a defensive tackle.

The biggest catch for the coaching staff was co-offensive coordinator Billy Gonzales, who was lured to Champaign from LSU, where he served as receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He previously worked at Florida coaching receivers.

"The biggest thing we're looking for is tough guys," he said. "We want tough guys who are committed, dedicated and loyal and willing to buy into a program. Those are the guys you want to take into battle with you in the long run. It's not always the most talented guys that play but the guy that works the hardest and buys into a program."

Beckman had some early obstacles because of the slow process of hiring assistants. Many of those he hired were involved in bowl games and couldn't be announced until their seasons ended.

He thought he had a defensive coordinator when Illinois announced that Jon Tenuta had agreed to join the staff. But Tenuta changed his mind the next day and stayed at North Carolina State. Gonzales wasn't announced until after the national championship game.

Beckman also encountered a dead period when recruits couldn't be contacted soon after being hired. But he said he isn't concerned about filling all 85 scholarships.

"The numbers thing doesn't matter," he said. "Of course you'd like to be at 85. But if we don't get to 85 now, that means we can continually recruit."