Hank Beatty breakout game ignites Illinois Football in opener

Have yourself a night, Hank Beatty! On Friday, August 29th, Illinois football opened up its 2025 season with a 52-3 win over the Western Illinois Leathernecks. The Illini did exactly what they were supposed to do over Western Illinois and dominated from start to finish. However, the highlight of the night had to be senior wide receiver Hank Beatty. Beatty, a three-star prospect from Rochester, Illinois, led the team on the offensive end with 5 catches for 108 yards. On top of that, Beatty returned four punts during the day, totalling 133 yards and one touchdown. His 67-yard touchdown was one of the highlights of the night.

The return itself was a monumental moment as it was the first return touchdown for Illinois since V’Angelo Bentley did it in 2013. Additionally, his 133 total return yards broke a record set by the great Red Grange.

 

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What’s next?

Before the season started, everyone was curious how the Illini football wide receiver room would look. After stalwarts Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin both moved on to the NFL, the top wide receiver spots on this roster were wide open. Though there is plenty of season left, Beatty’s performance showed that he is reliable and can help the team in a variety of ways. Outside of Beatty, Ball State transfer Justin Bowick showed ability as a red-zone target as he caught two touchdowns. Additionally, former four-star prospect Malik Elzy showed that he is a reliable option as well.

The Illini are going to have to step up in a major way if they want to win their next game, a road game vs Duke. It will be interesting to see how this room performs against stiffer competition; however, we can all take solace knowing that Hank Beatty is emerging as the top option in the Illini wide receiver room. If he is able to continue this type of play, he should be able to find his way into NFL camp opportunities during the summer of 2026.

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