A five-year career at Illinois concluded on the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft, as the Atlanta Falcons selected wide receiver Casey Washington with the 187th overall pick.
The Texas native was recruited as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN and a two-star by Rivals. After choosing Illinois over offers from Kansas and Tulane, Washington played in 10 games as a true freshman.
Washington’s production truly took off in 2021 when he doubled his receptions (21) and tripled his yards (294). On top of increasing his output on a game-to-game basis, Washington secured a spot in Illinois history when he caught the winning two-point conversion in Illinois’ 20-18 victory at No. 7 Penn State. In honor of ending the nine-overtime contest, Washington’s gloves were immortalized in the College Football Hall of Fame.
To cap off his collegiate career, Washington put up 49 receptions and 670 yards as a senior. He continued the highlight reel moments as well, securing 33-yard and 29-yard passes to set Illinois up for game-winning field goals against Toledo and Maryland.
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