Five Illinois players to know ahead of Citrus Bowl

South Carolina took on two new opponents – Old Dominion and Oklahoma – during the 2024 season. When the Citrus Bowl kicks off at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31, Illinois will be added to that list.

In fact, this game will mark the first time the Gamecocks have faced a Big Ten team since a meeting with Michigan in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2018. Because of this, the New Year’s Eve matchup will likely serve as the first time many players on South Carolina’s current roster have faced off against players from Illinois.

Here are five players from the Fighting Illini that Gamecock fans should be familiar with as the team prepares for the Citrus Bowl.

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Luke Altmyer

Bio – Year: Junior | Position: Quarterback | Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 205 pounds | Hometown: Starkville, Mississippi

Illinois’ offense starts and ends with Luke Altmyer, who has served as the team’s primary signal caller for the past two seasons. This year, Altmyer has completed 60.9% of his passes (198-for-325) for 2,543 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. These numbers were improvements compared to last year, when he completed a higher percentage of his passes (64.8%) but threw for fewer yards (1,883) and touchdowns (13).

More often that not, a positive performance from Altmyer goes hand-in-hand with an Illinois victory. Altmyer has thrown for 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions across the Fighting Illini’s nine wins. He earned Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after one of these victories – a 31-24 overtime victory over Nebraska, where he threw for 215 yards and four touchdowns.

Altmyer spent the first two years of his college career at Ole Miss, where he primarily played a backup role.

Zakhari Franklin

Bio – Year: Senior | Position: Wide Receiver | Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 190 pounds | Hometown: Dallas, Texas

After a down season at Ole Miss in 2023, Zakhari Franklin has emerged as a key contributor to Illinois’ air attack one. Bryant is second amongst all Fighting Illini wide receivers in receptions (51), receiving yards (613) and receiving touchdowns (three) this season. Bryant has yet to log a 100-yard game this year, but he came one yard short of achieving that milestone against Kansas on Sept. 7.

Franklin was a four-year veteran at UTSA before joining the Rebels last season. He made the All-Conference USA Team in both 2021 and 2022 – seasons during which he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Franklin set single-season program records in receptions (81), receiving yards (1,027) and receiving touchdowns (12) in 2021, only for those records to be broken with a 94-catch, 1,136-yard campaign (with 15 scores) the following year.

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Pat Bryant, Illinois’ leading wide receiver (54 catches, 984 yards, 10 touchdowns), has already opted out of the Citrus Bowl. Because of this, Franklin will be the team’s leading wideout on New Year’s Eve.

JC Davis

Bio – Year: Senior | Position: Offensive Lineman | Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 320 pounds | Hometown: Oakland, California

Another player who received all-conference honors in 2024 is JC Davis, who was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team at offensive tackle. Davis appeared in all 12 of the Fighting Illini’s contests this year and was ranked No. 176 amongst all FBS offensive linemen with a 68.2 overall grade, according to PFF. He also recorded a 72.4 pass-blocking grade and a 67.1 run-blocking grade.

This season was Davis’ first with Illinois after transferring from New Mexico during the offseason. There, he made the All-Mountain West First Team and played nearly every snap for the Lobos as a junior.

Gabe Jacas

Bio – Year: Junior | Position: Outside Linebacker | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 275 pounds | Hometown: Port St. Lucie, Florida

The Fighting Illini also have a lot of firepower on defense, a lot of which has come from All-Big Ten Third-Team linebacker Gabe Jacas. In addition to ranking in the top 25 nationwide in forced fumbles (tied-21st, with three) and sacks (tied-24th, with eight), he leads the team in tackles for loss (10) and quarterback hurries (10). Jacas also recorded 66 total tackles and one fumble recovery.

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A three-year Illinois veteran, Jacas kickstarted his college football career with a strong debut season that landed him on multiple Freshman All-America teams. He became the first true freshman in program history to be named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America in 2022, where he made eight starts at outside linebacker and appeared in all 13 of the team’s games.

Xavier Scott

Bio – Year: Junior | Position: Defensive Back | Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 190 pounds | Hometown: Riviera Beach, Florida

Xavier Scott has been one of Illinois’ most impactful players in its secondary this year, which led to his second career All-Big Ten nod at the end of the campaign. Across 12 games, Scott has made 55 total tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. He is tied for second in the conference and 15th in the nation in interceptions (four). Scott additionally finished the season as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, making him a top-15 defensive back in college football.

Scott had multiple big performances in 2024, most notably in the Fighting Illini’s second game against Kansas. That day, Scott became the first player in the nation this year to force three turnovers in one game. He also scored his first collegiate pick six in the final minute of the second quarter.

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