Illinois WR Jayshon Platt likely out for start of season

As the Illini look to open the season, the team now faces some early challenges regarding injuries.

Highly touted FAU transfer Jayshon Platt will now likely miss the season opener against UAB, and potentially more.

Head coach Bret Bielema weighed in on Tuesday: "When the injury happened, we didn't know the exact timeline on it… Whether he's back week 1, week 3, or week 4, I don't really know at this point."

Platt, who came off a season where he captured 720 yards and 5 touchdowns, is viewed as one of the focal points of the Illini's offense going into this season. His talent is backed up with a recent nomination to the preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List, which is given to the best receiver in the country.

The receiver room, under Justin Stepp, was already thinner than expected. After earlier news that FIU transfer Alex Perry will be sidelined potentially the entire season, even more weight was placed onto Platt and other receivers. Now that two critical transfer additions are sidelined, Illinois will have to look elsewhere for production.

Illinois was able to retain Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement , who will now be the headliners of this offense with the absence of Platt and Perry. I would expect these two to have a much heavier workload, especially early in the season.

Some younger, more inexperienced options may get the chance to flourish as well. Central Illinois native Brayden Trimble has been talked highly of in camp, so expect him to see the field early this season.

Illinois may also rely more than desired on the run game. With an experienced backfield full of playmakers, the coaching staff can trust this group to move the chains.

Losing another receiver is not the news fans or the coaching staff wanted to hear, especially 2 weeks before kickoff. However, Bielema has proven that he can adapt to sudden changes in playstyle and roster construction. With gameday just around the corner, it's going to be interesting to see how Illinois adjusts to these major changes.