Signing of Illini WR Zakhari Franklin gives the offense a new dimension

The Illinois Fighting Illini had planned to start the season with Pat Bryant as their best receiver.

It turns out they have a 1A and a 1B.

The signing of transfer Zakhari Franklin gives the Illini more balance at that position. He had five catches for 66 yards in Saturday's win over Central Michigan.

“When you have two quality players on opposite sides, it's very difficult to handle defensively,” Illini coach Bret Bielema said. “… I think it's going to be difficult for teams to defend against us.”

Franklin transferred from Ole Miss in May. He began his career at the University of Texas-San Antonio and is one of the most experienced receivers in the country. The Chippewas had trouble covering Franklin and Bryant.

Bryant caught two touchdowns from quarterback Luke Altmyer. Bielema said the offense will only become more dynamic if the offensive line plays better.

“We need to get cleaner on offense,” Bielema said. “I think we need to challenge this group overall. They need to take a step forward. To get to where we want to be, they need to play a lot harder.”

ILLINI BACK IN THE RANKINGS

There's even more cause for excitement on campus in Illinois this week.

On Sunday, the Fighting Illini appeared at No. 24 in the Top 25. It is their first appearance since 2022. The Illini are 3-0 for the first time since 2011 after beating Central Michigan. They also have wins over Kansas and Eastern Illinois.

Bielema said the team should not become too confident as there is still so much to achieve.

“We're going to close the chapter very quickly,” Bielema said. “I'm super excited. I know the outside world thinks we're 3-0, but we're going to try to play 1-0 every week.”

Shandel Richardson is the editor of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at [email protected]

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