Zakhari Franklin

Zakhari Franklin (born October 15, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He previously played for the UTSA Roadrunners and the Ole Miss Rebels

Early life and high school
Franklin grew up in Cedar Hill, Texas and attended Cedar Hill High School. caught 23 passes for 687 yards and nine touchdowns. Franklin committed to play college football at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

College career
Franklin began his college career playing for the UTSA Roadrunners He had 38 catches for 491 yards and three touchdowns during his freshman season. Franklin was named honorable mention All-Conference USA after catching 49 passes for 694 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore. He was named first team All-Conference USA at the end of his junior season after setting school records with 81 catches, 1,027 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown receptions. As a senior, Franklin reset his program records with 94 receptions for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns. After the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Franklin ultimately transferred to Ole Miss.