5 huge observations from the Illinois football win over Michigan State

3. Pay Bryant is bolstering his NFL Draft stock

Over the years, Illinois has had some talented wide receivers. We are just coming off a combination of Isaiah Williams and Casey Washington who helped lead Illinois to a lot of wins the past couple of seasons.

Williams and Washington are both in the NFL, but I would argue the best has yet to come at the wide receiver position. I think Pat Bryant might be the most NFL-ready wide receiver Illinois has had in years.

Bryant had a huge game on Saturday. He finished the Michigan State win with four receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. The 135 yards is the most in his career, beating his game against Indiana last season by four yards.

For the season, Bryant has 43 receptions for 717 yards and eight touchdowns. He has three 100-yard games and has hit at least 60 yards in all but three games. In his career, when Bryant has at least 50 yards receiving, Illinois is 14-2. When Bryant has fewer than 50 yards in a game, Illinois is 10-18.

The numbers for Bryant are impressive, but what makes him an even bigger NFL-ready wide receiver is his physical size. Bryant stands at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. So, not only does he have good hands and a great ability out wide, but he is a big target who can go up and get the ball.

On Saturday against the Spartans, Bryant only continued to bolster his NFL Draft stock. He is someone who could easily rise up the draft boards and be selected in the top three rounds in 2025.