Illinois Football: Former Illini wide receiver Casey Washington, “I’m back”

Illinois football is in the middle of a transition period right now with numerous players hitting the transfer portal or leaving the team.

This is normal when there is a coaching change. The previous players don’t feel they are in the right system, or they aren’t getting a fair shake, so they depart for greener pastures. So, the turnover the Illini are experience right now isn’t anything unusual.

While there are some talented players departing the program, Illinois is getting back one player who left the team after his sophomore year. That player is wide receiver, Casey Washington.

The Writing Illini had a chance to talk with Washington and much like a great basketball player who once resided in the state of Illinois, Washington had a simple two words for the Writing Illini.

“I’m back”

This is huge news for the Illini. Washington spent two years with the program but decided to enter the transfer portal after the 2020 campaign. He ended up picking Wake Forest as his landing spot this past January. Washington spent spring practice with the Demon Deacons but then reentered the transfer portal in March. He has now confirmed he is back with the Orange and Blue.

Washington is going to bring even more stability to the Illinois football wide receiver corps.

In 2019, Washington ended up catching 11 passes for 132 yards in just seven games of action. He then had 10 receptions for 106 yards in a COVID-shortened year. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but Illinois didn’t exactly have a pass-happy offense. This wasn’t an offense that moved the ball on a consistent basis. We also played four different quarterbacks in 2020.

I am excited to see Washington join a wide receiver group that looks completely different than when he left the program back in January. Bret Bielema came in and flipped this roster upside down. Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but the wide receiver corps looks more dangerous than ever.

Washington joins two former top 200 recruits in Isaiah Williams and Marquez Beason out wide. Williams was a quarterback the past two seasons and Beason spent 2020 as a defensive back. These are two great athletes who will be catching passes alongside Washington.

Let’s also not forget about Brian Hightower. He might be the most underrated wide receiver in the Big Ten. I think Hightower has a chance to do some special things with the Illini in 2021.

Talent-wise, this might be the best wide receiver corps Illinois football has had in decades. I can’t remember the last time there was this much talent catching passes from a decent quarterback. I expect this offense to look like a well-oiled machine in August.