Sean Payton's comments on Pat Bryant prove that Bret Bielema is building something at Illinois

It isn't easy to move from college to the professional level, no matter the sport, but especially football. It seems the NFL can feel like a different beast, with many players often pointing to their 'welcome to the NFL' moment as the time they knew they weren't playing college football anymore.

Former Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant, though, made the move from Illinois to the Denver Broncos rather smoothly, and now, as he heads into his second season, his head coach, Sean Payton, can't stop raving about him. What Illinois fans will love even more, though, is that Payton attributes his stellar play and development to the team they drafted him from: Illinois.

Payton went on and on about how they practically can't get Bryant off the field during training camp and that the development they saw last season has grown even more so far in his second season. Not only is he improving, but Payton made sure to give credit where credit is deserved, talking about his football intelligence, his ability to play every position, his size, and his catch radius.

Pat Bryant is the perfect example of the type of players Bret Bielema is building at Illinois

Of course, the hype given to Bryant is so deserved, especially after only 31 receptions for 378 receiving yards and one touchdown in his rookie season. That came after Bryant totaled 2,095 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in his career at Illinois. As a third-round pick, it was a mystery as to how well Bryant would fare with the Broncos, whose wide receiver room has seen better days.

What these comments about Bryant really speak to is the type of program Bielema is building in Champaign. When recruits think about going to a school that will get them to the NFL one day, Illinois is typically not one that comes to mind, but maybe it should start to be.

Bielema has seen 15 players drafted to the NFL since taking over as head coach in 2022, and that doesn't even count undrafted free agents who signed with teams. In the most recent draft, three Illini were selected: outside linebacker Gabe Jacas in the third round by the New England Patriots, offensive lineman J.C. Davis in the sixth round by the New York Giants, and defensive back Miles Scott in the seventh round, joining Bryant with the Denver Broncos.

Coming to Illinois with a little bit of NFL coaching experience under his belt with the Patriots and Giants, Bielema has an idea of what it takes to succeed as a player at the highest level. Bryant is the perfect example of what Illinois can send to the NFL, led by Bielema's coaching efforts.

If Bielema continues on this upward trend in Champaign, maybe Illinois will become a school recruits believe will ensure their path to the NFL. It is evident Bielema is building something special at Illinois, and Bryant is just the start of it.

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