Six Illini Headed to the NFL

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Following WR Pat Bryant's selection by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, five more former Illini have been given opportunities by NFL teams. Seth Coleman, TeRah Edwards, and Zakhari Franklin all signed free agent contracts, while Dennis Briggs Jr. and Ryan Meed secured invitations to minicamps.

Illinois now has 32 players in the NFL.

Illini Headed to the NFL

Player	Team	Status
WR Pat Bryant	Denver Broncos	NFL Draft Pick (3rd Round)
OLB Seth Coleman	Seattle Seahawks	Free Agent Signing
DT TeRah Edwards	Los Angeles Chargers	Free Agent Signing
WR Zakhari Franklin	Las Vegas Raiders	Free Agent Signing
DT Dennis Briggs Jr.	Tennessee Titans	Minicamp Invite
LB Ryan Meed	Philadelphia Eagles	Minicamp Invite

Bryant was the 258th NFL Draft pick in Illinois history and the 56th NFL Draft pick of Bret Bielema's 16-year head coaching career. He was the Illini's eighth top-100 pick among the 12 NFL Draft selections during Bielema's four years at Illinois. Bielema has the most top-100 picks of any coach in Illini history during their first four seasons as head coach.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Pat Bryant: WR; 6' 3"; Senior

#9 Seth Coleman: OLB; 6' 5"; Senior

#23 TeRah Edwards: DL; 6' 2"; Senior

#34 Ryan Meed: LB; 6' 1"; Senior

#6 Dennis Briggs Jr.: DL; 6' 4"; Senior

#4 Zakhari Franklin: WR; 6' 1"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#13 Pat Bryant
: 6' 3"; Senior
: WR

#9 Seth Coleman
: 6' 5"; Senior
: OLB

#23 TeRah Edwards
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DL

#34 Ryan Meed
: 6' 1"; Senior
: LB

#6 Dennis Briggs Jr.
: 6' 4"; Senior
: DL

#4 Zakhari Franklin
: 6' 1"; Senior
: WR