Collin Dixon’s great Illinois football season has him mentioned with Ohio State’s Jeramiah Smith

There haven’t been a lot of bright spots for the Illinois football program, but the big season from Collin Dixon has to take the cake.

Dixon was poised for a good senior campaign, as he was coming off 548 yards and five touchdowns the year before. He has already surpassed his receptions, yards, and touchdowns halfway through the 2026 campaign.

Through six games, Dixon has 47 receptions for 608 yards and nine touchdowns. Those are great numbers, and they put Dixon in the same air as the Heisman Trophy favorite Jeremiah Smith.

Dixon ranks in the top six in the country in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. The only other player who can say the same is Ohio State’s Smith, who has 48 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns.

That is about where the similarities end for the two elite wide receivers. They are very different players.

Smith is a take-the-top-off burner who can blow past any defender and make the big catch. Dixon is more of a possession receiver, more physical, and can go over a defender and pull the ball away. He has had to learn this skill, as Dixon hasn’t had the caliber of quarterback play as Smith.

Dixon is also at another big disadvantage because of the talent around him. It is impressive that he can put up those big numbers and keep up with the Heisman Trophy favorite, who currently sits at -220 to win the award. Smith has a better offensive line and quarterback, which gives them more time for plays to develop and someone like Smith to get through a secondary.

Meanwhile, Dixon has to fight for every yard he gets. Illinois has had a constant rotation of offensive linemen due to injuries and talent. Katin Houser has been solid, but he is now injured.

It will be interesting to see if Collin Dixon can keep his big-time numbers with Illinois football moving to Michael Clayton II

I mentioned that Houser is now injured. Bret Bielema said he would be out 4-6 weeks. That means this is Michael Clayton II’s team now.

Clayton looked good in the eight throws and the win he had over Michigan State. The big questions now are whether Clayton can keep up that great play and whether Dixon can sustain his massive numbers with a new quarterback.

If Clayton can keep throwing the ball as he did at the end of the Michigan State win, then I think Dixon is fine. I would argue he might even improve on his number. Clayton was that good.

Now that teams have some film on Clayton, I would imagine he takes a step backward in the coming weeks. That is going to be the challenge for the true freshman quarterback.

Illinois has a lot on their plate in the bye week. Getting Clayton up to speed is going to be crucial to sustaining the success that Dixon has seen on the field this season.

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