Hank Beatty wrote a heckuva story in Champaign
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Rochester, Illinois, is a small town just Southeast of Springfield in Sangamon County. Its population is 3,863. It is the epitome of small-town America. It is also the hometown of Hany Beatty, the Fighting Illini’s star senior wideout. Beatty has turned four years of hard work and dedication into a career of triumph at Illinois and possibly more.
Two years of serving his dues
At Rochester, Beatty showed his versatility, switching from wide receiving to quarterback. In his senior season, he completed 152 of 236 passing attempts for 1,899 yards and 23 touchdowns, while adding 1,371 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 146 carries and catching 22 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns. That is a total of 3,611 yards and 49 TDs. He was the Illinois Gatorade Football Player of the Year and a 3-star recruit.
He committed to Illinois on April 17, 2021. He played in every game as a freshman, mostly on special teams, but did manage to see action as a wideout, catching seven passes for 25 yards. In 2023, it was about the same playing on special steams and spot duty at receiver (8 catches for 65 yards). After 2023, with Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin ahead of him on the depth chart, and other guys like Collin Dixon, Malik Elzy, and Ashton Hollins in the WR room, it would have been easy for him to take his chances on the transfer portal; however, that thought never entered his mind, according to a recent interview with WAND-TV.
“I would say that this was always home for me, just being from central Illinois. I really liked Coach B, so leaving here wasn’t something that I really wanted to do. But, you know, there were obstacles that I had to overcome. It came down to whether I wanted it or not here, and I wanted to be here, and I wanted to earn it here, and I’m thankful for the opportunities that I got. I wanted to play for Coach B.“
It was that attitude that propelled him to push himself. In 2024, he made his move on special teams, with 22 punt returns and two kickoff returns for a combined 347 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per punt return (which was tops in the Big Ten and 4th nationally). Plus, he became an option in the passing game with 20 catches for 294 yards and a touchdown. In the Citrus Bowl, he filled in for Pat Bryant, who opted out. He hauled in four catches for 90 yards, including a 59-yarder.
Beatty was named to the Phil Steel All-American Honorable Mention list for 2024. He was Third-Team All-Big Ten (Media) and Honorable Mention (Coaches).
Beatty emerges from the shadows with a legendary feat
Illinois snagged Hudson Clement, a standout receiver for West Virginia, out of the transfer portal. Beatty’s future looked uncertain. Clement had a slow start, and Beatty took full advantage of that. Against Western Illinois, he had 108 yards on five catches and returned four punts for 133 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown return, breaking the record held by Red Grange of 125 yards in 1923. Then, against Duke, he had 128 yards on eight catches and a 25-yard run from scrimmage for a touchdown.
Then against USC, Beatty threw a pass to a wide-open Luke Altmyer for a touchdown, making him one of two players for Illinois this season to have at least one receiving, rushing, and passing touchdown (joining Altmyer).
Beatty had his best game as a receiver against Purdue, where he had five catches for 186 yards and a touchdown.
He was named 2025 All-Big Ten Third Team (Coaches and Media) and 2025 AP All-Big Ten All-Purpose Player Second Team.
With one college game to go, does Beatty have an NFL future?
Before the Citrus Bowl last season, Beatty was not on many scouts’ radars. That game brought the pro scouts’ attention to at least look his way. Then his first two games of the season thrust him into the draft conversation. Beatty was listed by CBS midseason as #74 of the top 150 players in the NCAA.
Pro scouts like his versatility and quickness, and his precise route running. another thing they like is his overall ability to get yards after the catch. That is a very coveted ability, particularly at the next level. The only question is his size at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. But his ability as a punt returner gives him an advantage to compete for playing time.
He is definitely on draft boards, probably 6th or 7th round. As he did at Illinois, he will have to prove himself, but I don’t think that is anything new for Beatty.
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