CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois transfer wide receiver Hudson Clement is getting praise from his coaches ahead of the team’s season opener.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema recently praised Clement’s growth from the spring to the fall.

Clement transferred to the Illini from West Virginia after leading the Mountaineers with 741 receiving yards in 2024.

“I think his most redeeming quality is he gets open,” Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. said. “That’s a good quality. I know that sounds simplistic, but I’ve seen fast guys that don’t get open, I’ve seen slow guys that do. He can run and he runs well and he’s an athletic kid, but his best quality is he just finds a way to get open and he makes the play when it when it presents itself. And so that’s what we saw on film. And we’re seeing that guy come to life for us.”

Clement is one of several wide receivers on the Illini roster hoping to play a big role in the 2025 season.

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