Illinois has yet to see FAU transfer wide receiver Jayshon Platt this season due to an undisclosed injury he suffered late in fall camp. Going into the bye week, head coach Bret Bielema was optimistic that Platt would finally make his Illinois debut against Oregon, but now that won't be the case.
Hours before kickoff, Illinois released its final injury report , and Platt has officially been ruled out for the game against Oregon, marking the seventh game he will miss this season. While it is disappointing, Platt has yet to play a snap for Illinois this season, so fortunately, the Illini won't be missing a key piece who has been on the field before.
It would have been nice for backup quarterback Michael Clayton II, who is making his first start of his career, to have Platt on the field and a full arsenal of offensive weapons. Instead, this is just another example of how Illinois' season has gone, with injuries plaguing everything.
Platt came to Illinois from FAU and was expected to be the spark plug in the wide receiver room. Granted, Collin Dixon has been the light for this wide receiver room with a career season so far, but Platt's speed and ability to stretch the field would have really helped starting QB Katin Houser, and now Clayton, who is in due to Houser's hand injury he suffered against Michigan State.
The fact that Platt has yet to play a single snap is really frustrating, because it feels like every week Bielema talks about how close he is to returning. After an extra week off with the bye, it felt like this was Platt's best chance to get on the field for Illinois for the first time this season. Instead, he is out again, and now we wait to see if he will be good to go next week.
At this point, with the Illini sitting at 3-3 this season, Platt could choose to spend the rest of the season getting as healthy as possible. With this being his fifth season, there is no telling whether he will be given another year of eligibility. If he does, hopefully he returns to Illinois.
Clayton will have the normal wide receivers in his arsenal against Oregon, and hopefully, with Dixon, Hudson Clement, and Brayden Trimble, he can get the job done. Even as an underdog, the Illini could shock everyone with a big upset.
This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Jayshon Platt has yet to make Illinois debut after being ruled OUT vs. Oregon .
