Zakhari Franklin

#4 · WR · Sr. · Illinois6′1″ · 190 lb · Cedar Hill, TX

Zakhari Franklin: WR · Illinois · #4.

Similar players

Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.

Kedarian JonesMemphis · 2019 · 88% season match
Jared BrownCoastal Carolina · 2023 · 78% season match
Keelan MarionMiami · 2025 · 78% season match
Justin GarrettUTEP · 2020 · 77% season match
Luke GrimmKansas · 2024 · 77% season match

Zakhari Franklin

WR · Illinois · Sr · #4

Wins underneath on volume and route precision. The six seasons span three programs and four head coaches: Frank Wilson, Jeff Traylor, Lane Kiffin and Bret Bielema. All-Conference USA in 2022 made it three straight seasons on the honors list. On tape: 99 receiving yards and 9 receptions against Kansas, Week 2, 2024.

Style of play

Play style

Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.

Fans

No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.

Illinois in the news

Oregon fires OC MehringerLancasterOnline Oct 25
Bret Bielema's father passes awayYahoo Sports Oct 25
Jalen Lott, Messiah Hampton out vs IllinoisDucks Wire Oct 24
Oregon WR Evan Stewart arrested for DUIOct 19

Where to follow

Career stats

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Season	Team
2024	Illinois	56	658	11.8	4	44
2023	Ole Miss	4	38	9.5	1	16
2022	UTSA	93	1,137	12.2	15	43
2021	UTSA	81	1,027	12.7	12	75
2020	UTSA	49	694	14.2	7	52
2019	UTSA	38	491	12.9	3	65
Career		321	4,045	12.6	42	75

Season	Team
2024	Illinois	--	--
2023	Ole Miss	--	--
2022	UTSA	--	--
2021	UTSA	--	--
2020	UTSA	1	8
2019	UTSA	--	--
Career		1	8

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 45-0vs Eastern Illinois	2	28	14.0	0	16
Wk 2	W 23-17vs No. 19 Kansas	9	99	11.0	0	42	Season-high 99 yds
Wk 3	W 30-9vs Central Michigan	5	66	13.2	0	23
Wk 4	W 31-24@ No. 22 Nebraska	5	50	10.0	0	17
Wk 5	L 7-21@ No. 9 Penn State	4	49	12.3	0	18
Wk 7	W 50-49vs Purdue	4	60	15.0	1	27
Wk 8	W 21-7vs No. 24 Michigan	2	26	13.0	0	13
Wk 9	L 9-38@ No. 1 Oregon	6	72	12.0	0	44
Wk 10	L 17-25vs Minnesota	5	71	14.2	1	21
Wk 12	W 38-16vs Michigan State	7	44	6.3	1	15
Wk 14	W 38-28vs Northwestern	3	54	18.0	0	43
Bowl	W 21-17vs No. 14 South Carolina	4	39	9.8	1	15
Total		56	658	11.8	4	44

Signature game

Week 10 · 2024

L 17-25

vs Minnesota

5 rec · 71 yds · 1 TD

With L. Altmyer — 226 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 52.3 · 12 rush yds (10 car) · H. Robertson — 36.8 yards per punt · 4 punts · 2 inside the 20

Signature plays

The plays that mattered most

Week 2 · Kansas · 3rd and 5 · Q2 · EPA +3.97Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 42 yds to the KU 28 for a
Week 14 · Northwestern · 2nd and 10 · Q1 · EPA +3.88Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 43 yds to the NU 30 for a
Week 7 · Purdue · 3rd and 20 · Q2 · EPA +3.41L.Altmyer pass complete. Catch made by Z.Franklin for 27 yards. Tackled by PUR at PUR 8.
Week 10 · Minnesota · 3rd and 11 · Q4 · EPA +3.29Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 16 yds to the MINN 39 for a
Week 8 · Michigan · 3rd and 12 · Q2 · EPA +3.20Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 13 yds to the MICH 40 for a
Week 3 · Central Michigan · 3rd and 13 · Q1 · EPA +3.19Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 13 yds to the CMU 36 for a

4 more plays

Week 2 · Kansas · 3rd and 12 · Q4 · EPA +3.15Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 12 yds to the KU 45 for a
Week 1 · South Carolina · 2nd and 8 · Q1 · EPA +2.77Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 15 yds for a TD (David Olano KICK)
Week 10 · Minnesota · 1st and 10 · Q4 · EPA +2.63Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 21 yds for a TD (David Olano KICK)
Week 3 · Central Michigan · 2nd and 14 · Q3 · EPA +2.49Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 23 yds to the ILL 41 for a

Teams and coaches

2019UTSA4-8HC: Frank Wilson · Run-leaning

2020UTSA7-5HC: Jeff Traylor · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021UTSA12-2HC: Jeff Traylor · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2022UTSA11-3HC: Jeff Traylor · Balanced

2023Ole Miss11-2HC: Lane Kiffin · Run-leaning

2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo

Our ratings

CFB Zeitgeist Score 64 (#122 of 466). Show the ratings

Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles · 2024 season

64Quality starter #122 of 466 · 2024?

11 metrics · season cumulative

2024 score: the 2026 sample is not big enough yet. The rows below are 2026 so far. Elite: epa / target (84th percentile). Strength: receptions (85th percentile). Concern: explosive rate (25th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

EPA / target#100 / 610 · 84th pct

1.21

Catch rate#291 / 610 · 52nd pct

90.5%

TD rate#294 / 610 · 52nd pct

6.3%

Yards / catch#370 / 610 · 39th pct

11.2

Explosive rate#453 / 610 · 25th pct

9.5%

Box-score rates (6)

Receptions#77 / 541 · 85th pct

Rec yards#133 / 541 · 76th pct

658

Rec TDs#140 / 541 · 69th pct

Long catch#316 / 541 · 40th pct

Fumbles lost#90 / 221 · 36th pct

Yards / catch#363 / 541 · 32nd pct

11.8

Season trend

EPA / target— first qualifying season

Explosive rate— first qualifying season

Catch rate— first qualifying season

TD rate— first qualifying season

Yards / catch— first qualifying season

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps in 2024. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Splits

Home and road splits, scheme and staff

Splits · Per-game

2024 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home7g	4.9	56.3	12.4	0.4
Road3g	5.0	57.0	11.4	0.0

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	4.7	55.9	12.2	0.3
Weeks 8+5g	4.6	53.4	12.7	0.4

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2024 season

Head Coach

Bret Bielema

Pass share

44.1%

352 pass / 446 run

Plays / game

61.4

13 games

Team sack rate

7.1%

378 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.

Awards

Player standing · 2024

56 catches in 12 games

About as many catches a game as a typical FBS receiver who plays every week.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score

64 · #122 of 466 WRs · 2024

Two-star recruit. Now #122 at the position.

Zakhari Franklin

Similar players

Style of play

Fans

Illinois in the news

Where to follow

Career stats

Game log

Signature game

Signature plays

Teams and coaches

Our ratings

Splits

Awards

56 catches in 12 games

Six seasons, three schools

Moves

2019 9 games

2020 9 games

2021 12 games

2022 14 games

2023 3 games

2024 12 games