Illinois wide receiver Jayshon Platt is among 44 pass catchers, including one of seven representing Big Ten programs, named by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Biletnikoff Award.

CHAMPAIGN — Jayshon Platt will begin the 2026 season recognized as one of the more dynamic wide receivers in college football.

The fifth-year wide receiver, who has transferred to Illinois after four seasons at Florida Atlantic University for his final season of college football, was among the 44 pass catchers recognized on the watch list for the 2026 Biletnikoff Award, which has recognized the college football season's outstanding Football Bowl Subdivision receiver since 1994.

The Biletnikoff Award's semifinalists, three finalists, and award recipient are selected through the Tallahassee (Fla.) Quarterback Club Foundation by a committee of 600 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former notable college receivers.

Platt, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver, had 46 receptions for 720 yards and five touchdowns in nine starts last season at FAU and is expected to be a starter at any of the three receiver positions in Barry Lunney Jr.’s Illini offensive scheme in 2026.

“The biggest thing he’s shown since he got here is his ability to retain everything and then be able to immediately go put it on the field,” Stepp said. “The difference with him is he’s played college football and a lot of it. That stuff is invaluable.”

Illinois returns just just two wide receivers (Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement) who recorded a single reception in the 2025 season and the wide receiver room has been ravaged with nagging injuries throughout this month of preseason practices, including a season-ending shoulder nerve condition to incoming transfer Alex Perry from Florida International University.

Platt, who turned 22 years old shortly after he arrived in Champaign-Urbana in January, ranked 30th among FBS pass catchers in 2025 with eight receptions of 30 yards or more and recorded 100-yard receiving games against Memphis, Navy, and Tulsa.

“He’s just such a humble but yet confident person on the field that has played a lot of competitive ball so we’ve already seen him show that dog inside himself so that’s exciting to see,” Stepp said.

In the 31 years of the honor, Illinois has never produced a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Over the past eight seasons coaching in Power-4 at Illinois, South Carolina, and Arkansas, Stepp has coached 10 different wide receivers to season with at least five touchdown receptions and 10 different wide receivers to at least 500-yard campaigns.