CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- University of Illinois wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and running back Josh McCray were named to the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year preseason watch list on Wednesday by the College Sports Communicators, in association with the Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD​

Since 2018, the Comeback Player of the Year Award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

• Comeback Player of the Year website
• Recent honorees:
  • 2023: Blake Corum, RB, Michigan; Jacob Dobbs, LB, Holy Cross; Mike Hollins, RB, Virginia
  • 2022: Laiatu Latu, LB, UCLA; Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington; Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
  • 2021: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan; McKenzie Milton, QB, Florida State; J.J. Weaver, LB, Kentucky

ZAKHARI FRANKLIN​

• Transferred to Illinois in the Summer 2024 with one year of eligibility remaining
• Enters the season as the NCAA's active career leader in receptions (266), receiving yards (3,386), and receiving touchdowns (38)
• Played in only four games as a senior in 2023 at Ole Miss
• Recorded four catches for 38 yards with one touchdown for the Rebels
• Four-year starter at UTSA (2019-22), appearing in 46 career games for the Roadrunners
• 2022 Phil Steele All-America honorable mention and three-time All-Conference USA selection (2020, 2021, 2022) for the Roadrunners
• Left UTSA as the program's single-season and career record holder for receptions, total receiving yards, receiving yards per game, 100-yard games, and receiving touchdowns
• Ranks 21st all-time in FBS history with 38 career receiving touchdowns, 12 more than any other active NCAA player entering the 2024 season

JOSH MCCRAY​

• Missed all but nine games over the last two season, playing in the first five games (one start) in 2023 a seeing action in four games in 2022 before missing the rest of each year due to injury
• 2023 Doak Walker Award watch list
• 2023 Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten third team
• Had a breakout freshman season in 2021, ranking second on the team in both carries (112) and rushing yards (549) with two rushing touchdowns
• Ranked ninth in the Big Ten and 14th nationally in rushing yards per carry (4.9) as a freshman
• Rushed for 142 yards at #7 Penn State (10/23/21), the most rushing yards ever by an Illini true freshman against a ranked opponent
• Rushed for career-high 156 yards – the most nationally by a freshman in a road game that season – on a career-high 24 attempts at Purdue (9/25/21)
• Rushed for 60 yards on eight attempts including his first-career touchdown against Maryland (9/17/21)
• Illinois victory team MVP against Nebraska (8/28/21)

ILLINI ON WATCH LISTS (AS OF AUGUST 7)​

• Kaden Feagin – Doak Walker
• Zakhari Franklin – Comeback
• Josh McCray – Doak Walker, Comeback
• Kenenna Odeluga – Wuerffel

The Illinois football team will host its annual on-campus Media Day on Thursday, August 8 at the Smith Football Center.

Head coach Bret Bielema will start Media Day with a press conference in the Levenick Auditorium. Immediately following the press conference, players will be made available in the Smith Football Center.

As we always do, we will focus on video interviews for the freshmen. This will be the only time they will be available until they play in a game.

I'll post video in this thread and in a front page story.

I did a poll on the X platform. A large majority of fans polled would like to see at least some open practices.

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The first week of training camp is in the books.

What are your questions?

He's like this 24/7. All gas, no brakes.

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Kid from Simeon and Meanstreets that TA has been tracking.

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A kid to watch this high school season. He's very raw after growing a few inches over the last year or so.

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Caleb Williams is no mystery at #1. What the Bears will do at #9 is a real mystery. The mock drafts are all over the place though Rome Odunze appears to be the choice of most. But I’ve seen almost every possible name mentioned- Alt, Murphy, Turner, Verse, Latu, Bowers, etc.

Brad Biggs is always a good read on the Bears and he breaks the pick down into wants versus needs and comes up with Odunze. Which to me is more of a want. Another analysis I read talks about Waldron using 12 and 13 personal and comes up with Bowers as the pick. I tend to like this idea but it seems like a want more than a need.

If it gets to needs though the Bears still clearly need a defensive end. I read another analysis that talked about Poles/Eberflus wanting an end that can set the edge like Sweat does. This led to the Bears drafting Verse after trading down. Theres the very real possibility that the Bears will have the opportunity to take the highest rated defensive player in the draft, Turner. And he’s at a position of need so that’s appealing too.

Pole’s has talked recently about how hard it will be to make the Bear’s roster now after the last two drafts and all the free agent signings. That suggests that he won’t be trading down as much as he has in the past. More about adding an impact player to an already solid roster. They’ll be some possible churn ahead of the Bear’s pick which will add lots of options to which way they go. Why Pole’s and company have been running simulations so they’re prepared for any last minute changes.

Really hard to predict this one but I’m going Dallas Turner to fill a hole

2026 kid from Keokuk, Iowa. 6-foot-10 PF who played for Midpro Elite

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PONTE BUGGIANESE, Italy – After arriving in Italy on Saturday, Illinois took the court on Sunday for its opening game of its summer 2024 foreign trip. The Orange and Blue held off Spain & Italy Select in a 67-65 victory from a neutral-site gym in Ponte Buggianese, Italy - about an hour bus ride from the team's hotel in Florence.

Four Illini scored in double figures, led by senior Adalia McKenzie's 11 points. Genesis Bryant, Berry Wallace, and Kendall Bostic each added 10 points for the Illini. Bostic turned in a double-double, adding 15 rebounds including five offensive boards. McKenzie and fellow senior Brynn Shoup-Hill each added seven rebounds while Shoup-Hill tallied nine points. Makira Cook registered nine points and a team-high four assists.

Illinois will experiment with numerous lineups and rotations throughout the trip and share playing time. The Illini had 10 players log double-digit minutes against the Select team, with no player exceeding 25. Illinois went with a familiar starting lineup with Bostic, Bryant, Cook, McKenzie, and Shoup-Hill taking the court first while 11 players saw action.

The Illini owned a 10-point lead after the opening quarter with a 24-14 advantage. At the half, the lead shrunk to single digits at eight points (34-26) after Cori Allen hit a two-point buzzer beater to give the Orange and Blue the final score of the half.

Illinois outscored the opponent 16-15 and grabbed 14 rebounds in the third frame to own a 50-41 lead entering the final 10 minutes. Shots finally started falling for Spain & Italy Select in the fourth quarter but the Illini made shots when it counted and came away with the 67-65 victory.

Prior to the game, Illinois walked through Florence and participated in a pizza-making class. The Illini will stay Sunday and Monday nights in Florence, with a bike tour, cooking class, and team dinner still on the docket, before taking the train to Naples on Tuesday. Illinois' next game is Friday night vs. Amilla Peristeriou.