The 2024 season has been an incredible ride, as there have been multiple nerve-wracking games.
Before Bret Bielema took over the Illini program, most of these games would have turned into losses. Illinois has turned a corner, and we win the close contests, which has resulted in two eight-win campaigns in the last three years.
Bielema’s success at Illinois is due to various reasons, one being the talent that is housed in Champaign. We have seen players like Devon Witherspoon and Chase Brown, to name a couple, get selected in the NFL Draft. They helped Illinois reach great heights. Another player who has elevated the program is Pat Bryant.
Throughout time, Illinois has produced talented wide receivers. David Williams, Brandon Lloyd, and Arrelious Benn come to mind. Bryant has put his name into the conversation with those great pass catchers, and he might even end up being the best to ever wear the Orange and Blue.
After the game on Saturday, Bryant now has 50 receptions for 914 yards and nine touchdowns. In a game where Illinois put up 38 points, Bryant accounted for 79.1% of Illinois’ receiving yards and 58.3% of the receptions.
PAT BRYANT SCORES THE GAME-WINNING TD ON 4TH DOWN! 😱@IlliniFootball pic.twitter.com/ndso5u3X8B
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 23, 2024
That alone makes him a special player, but Bryant’s greatness can go to another level after his 197-yard performance against Rutgers.
Pat Bryant is etching his name in quite a few Illinois football records
Bryant is a one-man wrecking crew. He didn’t burn down the sideline for that game-winning touchdown against Rutgers. He caught the ball in the middle of the field and beat out an entire Rutgers’ secondary.
Throughout his career, Bryant has been putting up impressive numbers as well. While he has hit a career-high in receiving yards in back-to-back games, his numbers have added up over the years.
With the touchdown he scored on Saturday, Bryant now has nine touchdowns this season. That puts him No. 3 in Illinois single-season receiving touchdowns. That receiving touchdown also bumped him up to 18 career touchdowns. That ranks No. 4 in Illinois career receiving touchdowns.
Bryant’s dominant performance of 197 yards also cracked the record book. Those 197 yards in a single game ranks No. 5 among Illinois single-game receiving yards. His big performance also increased his career yardage to 2,025 yards, which ranks No. 8 in Illinois career receiving yardage.
The 197 yards against Rutgers was Bryant’s second straight 100-yard performance. He has now had four 100-yard games this season. That is good enough to rank No. 9 in Illinois single-season 100-yard performances. On top of that, Bryant has now had six 100-yard games during his career. That ranks No. 7 in Illinois career 100-yard receiving games.
I haven’t even mentioned the potential Bryant has for the rest of the 2024 season. He currently sits at 914 yards for the year. He just needs 44 yards to crack the top 10 for Illinois single-season receiving yardage.
Bryant is also on pace to crack the top 10 in career receptions. He sits at 133 career receptions, so he needs just 10 receptions to crack the top 10.
Let’s count that up. Bryant is now in the top 10 in six different achievements in the Illinois football record book. The fact he isn’t even done is mind-blowing. Bryant isn’t just putting up big numbers. He is having a legendary career, and let’s appreciate what we are watching.