Elzy already turning heads

INDIANAPOLIS — Bret Bielema likes to get feedback and opinions from his veteran players. They’ve shown their capability on the football field. The third-year Illinois coach trusts them and their perspective.
So Bielema went to Isaiah Williams earlier this summer with a particular question in mind: “What do you think of Elzy?”
That would be Malik Elzy.
The Chicago native was a top priority in the Class of 2023, and the Illinois staff kept recruiting the 6-foot-2, 210-pound wide receiver even after he committed to Cincinnati. That perseverance paid off after Luke Fickell left the Bearcats to take the Wisconsin job, and the Illini were able to flip the four-star prospect last winter.
Elzy had only been on campus a couple weeks when Bielema went to Williams for an early evaluation. The veteran wide receiver’s answer was telling.
“He goes, ‘Coach, he kind of took me by surprise,’” Bielema said. “I said, ‘What do you mean?’ and he said, ‘I didn’t know he was that good.’
“To get Isaiah to stutter was something. Many people have said that. I got a text from our quarterback group, and they were like, ‘Oooh, this is different.’”
Illinois needs Elzy to be different. While Williams returns as the team’s top receiver along with Pat Bryant and Casey Washington — two more of the top four from 2022 — the Illini’s wide receiver group wasn’t without question marks.
Mostly because the receivers behind those three are at the opposite end of the experience spectrum. With walk-on Miles Scott flipping to defensive back, sophomore Hank Beatty checks in as the fourth-most experienced option with seven career catches for 25 yards.
It’s why Illinois added receiver help in the Class of 2023. Florida native Kenari Wilcher — perhaps an eventual successor to Williams — enrolled early, while Elzy and Collin Dixon arrived this summer. Junior college transfer Alex Capka-Jones was the last piece to the wide receiver puzzle after a simultaneous late June offer and commitment.
“I give 100 percent due diligence to our recruiting staff and (wide receivers coach George McDonald),” Bielema said about adding Capka-Jones. “We were kind of in the market for another receiver, and I was filling up on scholarships. Didn’t know if we were going to have one.”
So Capka-Jones, who spent the last two seasons at Moorpark College in California, got a camp offer. Bielema saw enough in the first 15 minutes of Capka-Jones’ workout that he was sold. A handful of Illinois receivers were in the building, too, so the Illini coach asked them who the “player” was among the camp receivers.
The answer? Capka-Jones. Or, as Bielema said they pointed out, “the tall white guy with the mustache.”
“We brought him on an official visit,” the Illinois coach continued. “He didn’t know he was going to get offered, but after he’d been there on campus, I was like, ‘That’s exactly what we want and exactly what we need,’ I offered him and he accepted.”
Elzy fits those criteria, too. The Simeon graduate was the fourth-highest ranked recruit in the state and a top 50 wide receiver nationally. His production backed it up, as he helped the Wolverines go 12-1 and win a Chicago Public League title as a senior while catching 45 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“When it comes to just physical ability, as far as the receiver room, he’s probably one of the most physical receivers as a freshman I’ve seen,” Williams said of Elzy. “Also polished. That’s the thing. Usually you’ll see bigger receivers like that and you’re naturally going to think, ‘Oh, he’s big, but he’s not that polished.’ He can run routes. He can catch. He can do all that. He’s a unique talent coming in as a freshman.”
Elzy’s path to playing time could be simple. Learn the playbook. Get the opportunity. Make the most of it.
It’s something Williams is helping facilitate. Elzy and Dixon have spent significant time together at the Smith Center going through all that coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.’s offense has to offer. Even at odd hours. And Williams and Bryant have joined them, drawing up plays and making sure they understand what’s asked at their position.
“That’s his main job right now,” Williams said. “If you don’t know the playbook, you can’t really play. If you learn the playbook, you bring value. From there, of course, he’s young, so he’s going to have growing pains, but if he can learn the playbook, he can get on the field. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).