Illinois wide receiver Hank Beatty entered this season known first and foremost for his ability to excel in the punt return game. He finished fourth in the FBS with 14.1 yards per return in 2024, and he ended up just 14 yards shy of breaking the Illinois single season school record.
In the season opener, a 52-3 trouncing of Western Illinois, Beatty racked up 133 punt return yards, which broke a record that had belonged to Red Grange. Yes, the Red Grange, the NFL’s first superstar, famously known as the Galloping Ghost, who accumulated 125 punt return yards way back on Oct. 6, 1923.
More than half of Beatty’s 133 punt return yards came on a house call, which marked the first Illini punt return for a touchdown since V’Angelo Bentley’s 67-yd punt return TD against Ohio State in 2013.
After the first nine games, Beatty is averaging 18.9 yards per punt return, which would be good for the fourth-highest in school history.
But this season, he’s established himself much more in the offensive phase of the game, as he’s currently 10th nationally in receiving yards, 25th in receptions.
When Pat Bryant was done at Illinois, he skipped the Citrus Bowl to focus on the NFL Draft, where he became a third round selection by the Denver Broncos.
His absence left a void, which Beatty filled in the New Year’s bowl game triumph in Orlando.
“Obviously we knew he (Bryant) was out so any one of the receivers, we knew, was going to have to step up and make some plays,” Beatty said in an exclusive with The Sports Bank after the upset victory over South Carolina.
“And I’m grateful that it was me, and grateful that Luke threw me the ball.”
Bryant was the Illini WR1 last season, and Beatty inherited this role at the Citrus Bowl. He has certainly taken the go-to guy role by the scruff of the neck in 2025.
As a precise route runner with a phenomenal ability to rack up yards after contact, he’s putting up big numbers in the pass game, and even getting involved in the run game. As the season has progressed, the Rochester, IL native has won over the hearts and minds of Illini fans everywhere.
Dee Brown who won All-America honors and went to a Final Four with Illinois men’s basketball, summed it up best.
“If you win here, that’s what you are promised,” Brown said in an exclusive with RG.org about what it’s like to hold exalted status with the Illini fan base.
“These people are passionate about their sports. They’re passionate about you.”
While he’s just 5′ 11″ and 185 pounds (both of those measurements are a bit generous), he’s truly a big man on campus in 2025. What he’s doing in Champaign is drawing attention nationwide.
CBS Sports compiled a midseason list of the nation’s top 150 players, and Beatty is #74. When he totally went off in the win at Purdue, with a career-high 186 receiving yards, Beatty earned a spot on PFF’s Week 6 offensive team of the week. He’s also on the Paul Hornung award watch list, which honors the most versatile player in college football.
He may not be the top draft prospect on Illinois (that’s edge rusher Gabe Jacas) or their MVP (that’s QB Luke Altmyer), but he is their most electric and exciting to watch.
While Beatty was not a highly ranked prospect in the preseason, he has squarely put himself into draft consideration now. By putting up top quality performances week in and week out, on both offense and special teams, he’s a solid late round prospect now.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Hank Beatty is raising his NFL Draft stock this season
