Former Ole Miss football wide receiver Zakhari Franklin commits to Big Ten Conference team

Former Ole Miss wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has found a new home for the 2024 college football season. After entering the transfer portal on April 30, he announced yesterday he would be committing to Illinois.

Franklin, who spent one season with the rebels, posted on his 'X' account pictured in a Fighting Illini jersey with the word "committed" in the background. He chose Illinois over Washington and other schools.

Zakhari Franklin transferred from UTSA and hoped to showcase his skills at a more challenging conference. However, during the 2023 season with Ole Miss, Zakhari Franklin had only four receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown.

The hype around Franklin transferring in alongside another former group of 5 wide receiver, Tre Harris, was high. However, as Harris made an instant impact, Franklin struggled to carve out a more prominent role on the offense. It didn't help missing the first three games after picking up an injury during fall camp.

Zakhari Franklin leads active FBS receivers in receiving yards

Even with just the 38 receiving yards Zakhari Franklin amassed during the 2023 season, he still has the most receiving yards among active receivers in the FBS.

During his four seasons with UTSA in Conference-USA, Franklin reached 3,349 receiving yards for the Roadrunners. In his final two seasons with the team, he had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Franklin also totaled 37 touchdowns in those four seasons.

Franklin will head into his sixth year in college football with Illinois; after being able to redshirt the 2023 season with Ole Miss, he was also granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 in 2020. He will add experience to the Illinois wide receiver room and hopes to shake the down season in 2023.