PRO 2025 Rookie Spotlight: Zakhari Franklin, Illinois
Rookie Spotlight: Zakhari Franklin, Illinois
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
Hands:
Arm:
2025 Age: 25 – (10/15/00)
NFL Play-Style Comparison: Dez Fitzpatrick
Draft Grade: P-UDFA
Projected 40: 4.60
Breakout Age: 19 (Freshman)
Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)
Receptions: 26%
Receiving Yards: 24%
Receiving TDs: 18%
High School: Cedar Hill HS (Dallas, Texas)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2019; 2-star (5.4) – Zero Power-5 Offers
Honors: Three-Time All-Conference USA (2020,2021,2022) –
College Attended: UTSA(4), Ole Miss(1), Illinois(1)
Outside of Football:
- Majored in finance at UTSA
- Graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in multi-disciplinary studies in August 2024
- Majoring in crop sciences at Illinois
Pros
– Shows great catch radius on the sideline, with occasional WOW! moments
– Plays bigger than he is, portrays like a 6-3 220 lb receiver, while standing 6-1 190 lbs
– Very early(freshman) breakout at the G5 level(UTSA)
– Great frame with big hands; a built outside ‘X’ receiver prospect
– Outplayed Joshua Cephus at UTSA for four consecutive seasons as the leading receiver. Cephus was a UDFA in 2024 for Jacksonville.
Cons
– Two Seven drop seasons at UTSA(2022) and Illinois(2024)
– Played with Tre Harris at Ole Miss, but only appeared in four games. Franklin was injured in the preseason, causing him to miss the first 3 games in 2023.
– Struggled to create after the catch in the Big Ten (3.4/rec) down 2.2 yards per from the American Conference(UTSA)
– Last 100-yard performance came in December of 2022
– Slow gait off of the line of scrimmage
– No Combine Invite
Highlight/Film
Scouting Notes:
Zakhari Franklin grew up outside of Dallas, Texas where he attended Cedar Hill HS, home to former NFL Wide Receivers (Dezmon Briscoe and Quincy Adeboyejo). After high school, the lanky, muscled-up Franklin headed to San Antonio for 4-years where he competed with and out-played now NFL wide receiver Joshua Cephus for four seasons, racking up 3,348 yards and 37 touchdowns on 262 receptions for the Roadrunners. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and prior to graduation, Franklin decided to transfer to Ole Miss. Ole Miss was quoted as “missing” out on the commitment of the then transfer wide receiver and now first-round pick by the Buffalo Bills, Keon Coleman, who went to Florida State during the 2023 spring cycle, resulting in them pivoting to Franklin. Franklin suffered an undisclosed injury during the preseason, causing him to miss the first three games of the season – returning against Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Texas A&M, he totaled 4 receptions 38 yards, and 1 touchdown. The following week, Ole Miss traveled to Athens to take on the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs and Franklin did not play, after the game Coach Lane Kiffin was asked “why?” and he explained “I don’t know the plan for him the rest of the year. So, he ended up ‒ by his decision ‒ not playing. So, you’d have to ask him.” – Franklin did not play another snap for Ole Miss in 2023.
In the spring of 2024, Franklin graduated from Ole Miss and once again entered the Transfer Portal, this time heading to Illinois. Franklin joined his former Offensive Coordinator from UTSA (Barry Lunney) and quickly bounced back to his hold self, playing outside in the ‘X’ role at wide receiver, opposite of 2025 NFL draft prospect, Pat Bryant. Franklin showed great size, and contested catch-ability while flashing elite hand-eye coordination. At times, Franklin’s motor seems to run at an idle, struggling to create separation in and out of breaks, occasionally wasting movement at the line of scrimmage. There is no question his 6-1 190 lb frame plays bigger than it is listed, and he possesses some real superstar traits, however retreiving those traits from him, may take some time.
