Ole Miss transfer WR Zakhari Franklin commits to Illinois

Ole Miss transfer wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has committed to Illinois, he announced via social media. He entered the transfer portal at the end of the spring window and also visited Washington during the process.

Franklin is the second-best available player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings and the No. 13 wide receiver to enter the portal this cycle. He appeared in four games this past season at Ole Miss, totaling 38 yards and a touchdown, but put together an impressive career at UTSA.

With the Roadrunners, Franklin totaled 3,348 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns over four years, and turned in his best season in 2022. That’s when he had 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns before entering the portal and committing to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Franklin underwent knee surgery prior to the 2023 season, and the decision on only play in four games was to preserve a medical redshirt and keep an extra year of eligibility. That final season will now be under Bret Bielema at Illinois, and Franklin will reunite with Barry Lunney in the process.

Lunney was UTSA’s offensive coordinator for two seasons before heading to Illinois, and oversaw the first of Franklin’s two 1,000-yard seasons. It’s quite a splash for the Fighting Illini, who are looking to bounce back from a rough 2023 season in which they missed out on a bowl game.

Franklin is now the highest-rated transfer addition for Illinois, just ahead of former Texas cornerback Terrance Brooks. He came in at No. 84 overall in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings and one spot behind Franklin as he looks to anchor the Fighting Illini secondary.

Zakhari Franklin entered the transfer portal at the tail end of the spring transfer window, which was open just 15 days from April 16-30 – a crammed period that could reshape the 2024 college football offseason. The portal tool launched in 2018 to allow athletes to be more involved in the process of transferring. Athletes must notify institutions of their intent to transfer. Each school’s compliance team has 48 hours to put a name into the portal.

Under previous guidance, graduate transfers could transfer at any time. However, the NCAA announced new legislation that said they, too, had to provide notification to their compliance team by May 1.