Sophomore receiver Lonnie Hurst is expected to start playing a more prominent role in the Illinois offense now that senior Ade Adeyemo is sidelined six to eight weeks because he fractured his left leg on the first play of Saturday’s loss to Purdue.
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“It’s a shame because Ade was playing well with a lot of confidence,” coach Ron Turner said.
The same could be said for Hurst last season when he caught 27 passes before breaking his leg in the ninth game against Minnesota. After starting every game in which he played as a freshman, Hurst has been a reserve this season. The 11-yard catch he made against Purdue was only his second reception of the year.
Before the Purdue game, Turner downplayed Hurst’s inability to replicate last season’s statistics.
“It has just been the flow of the game,” Turner said. “We know he’s going to be there.”