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Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney, Jr. has grown comfortable with the Illinois Fighting Illini since coming to Champaign in January 2022, relying on a multi-faceted scheme that attacks all areas of the football field. 

Lunney, Jr. has gained a reputation for making the most out of the talent he's been given at positions ranging from quarterback to running back and wide receiver.

This year's Illini offense has all the makings of a classic Lunney, Jr. unit including at wide receiver where multiple key players have returned and one transfer has stood out above the rest: Jayshon Platt, formerly of the Florida Atlantic Owls. 

On Wednesday, Platt was placed on a watch list that serves as proof of his excellent receiving skills heading into what should be a hotly contested 2026 Big Ten and college football season. 

Platt Among Biletnikoff Award Candidates 

Platt was named among 44 players on the 2026 preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list, for the postseason award given to college football's most outstanding receiver. 

He was joined by six fellow Big Ten players including last year's national champion Charlie Becker of the Indiana Hoosiers and Jeremiah Smith of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. 

Platt has garnered preseason attention as a likely starter for the Fighting Illini and Lunney Jr.'s offense alongside Illinois returnees Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement. 

Platt, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound pass catcher who was born in North Port, Florida, has the toughness, concentration and sure hands Lunney, Jr. covets in his offense and is expected to begin producing from the team's opening quarter this year against the UAB Blazers. 

Platt Joins Houser in High Powered Offense

Platt is expected to join former East Carolina Pirates QB Katin Houser in Lunney Jr.'s offense this season after a strong 2025 with the Owls program in Boca Raton, Fla. 

Platt compiled 46 catches for 720 yards and five touchdowns for coach Zach Kittley's team, but the Owls finished with a 4-8 record. 

The transfer has already made waves in practice with the Fighting Illini and is expected to help lead a high powered offense on one of the Big Ten's better teams this season.

Houser passed for over 3,000 yards last year, has Big Ten experience with the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, Mich., and was able to win the starting QB job going away this offseason in Champaign. 

All signs point to a strong connection between Houser and Platt unfolding this year at Gies Memorial Stadium, a development that would help make the Fighting Illini must-see TV, and a threat to every team on their schedule, if all goes according to plan.  

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