On five different calls Saturday when Illinois needed to move the chains at Duke, Luke Altmyer wasn’t targeting a play call but a player he trusts the most - fourth-year receiver Hank Beatty.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 7, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

DURHAM, N.C. — It’s becoming plainly obvious over the first two weeks that the Illinois pass offense isn’t centered so much around trustworthy play calls but trustworthy players on the field.

On five specific situations where Illinois needed to move the first-down markers, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer didn’t necessarily run a specific go-to play but just knew that whatever was called, the football probably needed to quickly be in the hands of Hank Beatty.

The fourth-year receiver has quickly become the safety blanket option for Altmyer and Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. when No. 11 Illinois (2-0) was in any kind of difficult situation or a momentum-changing spot.

Beatty finished with a career-high 128 yards on eight catches during the Illini’s 45-19 blowout win at Duke on Saturday completing easily his two best games in his Illinois tenure. On a team that returned as many as eight starters from the 10-win squad in 2024 that secured the Citrus Bowl over Saturday, the wide receiver spots were the preseason spot of doubt. Beatty’s presence in the slot as a go-to target has quickly looked like a similar feel to what Altmyer had last year on the outside with Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin.

“The reason why those things work out so well is because he sees the field very well … the trust factor is certainly very, very strong,”Altmyer said after the win Saturday.

What Altmyer, who admitted last month during the Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas that Illinois needed to find “an alpha in the (receivers) room” while maintain confidence that one would emerge, is describing he has with Beatty is a quarterback-receiver relationship that can only be built with time.

“I think that has manifested itself over the years because I think we try to both see the game the same way,” Beatty said of his connection Altmyer. “We both talk about what the defense is doing and what we can do to get the ball in the right spot at the right time. Being in the right spot at the right time for him is not something that just happens but takes trust and work over time.”

Beatty secured the second 100-yard receiving outing of his career (both efforts coming across the first two games this season) and his eight receptions equaled his career-best mark, which he set in the 52-3 home win in the Aug. 29 season opener against Western Illinois.

Four of Beatty’s catches and his 25-yard rushing score where Illinois motioned into a wildcat trick play formation went for either first downs or touchdowns. The ‘Wild Hank’ look where Beatty was behind center for the time since he was at Rochester (Ill.) High School marked the first rushing touchdown of his career and was just the second rush of his collegiate career.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema called Beatty on Monday, which was a day off practice for the players due to the holiday, that the coaching staff wanted to try this trick formation to the delight of the Illini’s 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete.

“I know as a defensive coordinator how hard it is to prepare for popping somebody in there at quarterback who has great ball skills,” Bielema said. “I called him and described to him the play a little bit and asked him ‘Do you think you can do this?’ and he was like ‘Coach, I can do that, I got you’.”

Beatty had 153 total yards of offense and through the first two weeks of the 2025 campaign, the 2021-22 Gatorade Illinois High School Football Player of the Year, who only had two power conference offers in his prep career (Illinois and Iowa State) currently is second in the Big Ten Conference in receiving yards - behind only Southern California’s Makai Lemon.

“Coach B called me on Monday and said they wanted to do a little QB run play with me,” Beatty said. “And I was like, ‘yeah, let’s do it, sounds like fun.’ I don’t think anybody touched me because the line had the whole thing covered up and blocked so well.”

One of Bielema’s favorite sayings for his program is “the best is yet to come” but the checklist of things Beatty has already accomplished through two weeks of the 2025 season is already fairly impressive. Beatty, who is also the Illini’s punt returner and went for an Illini return touchdown for the first time in 12 years vs. WIU, has already had a record-setting first two games of this season. He set the Illinois single-game punt return yardage record (133) against WIU (8/29/25), breaking Red Grange's 102-year-old program record set in 1923 vs. Nebraska while also continuing to reset his single-game career highs in receptions and receiving yards.

“Hopefully, it just the beginning of what is a good season,” Beatty said. “We have to come in and continue to remind ourselves that there’s going to be a lot of tests for us as a team and we need to be prepared for how teams are going to adjust to what we’re doing.”