Ryan Merklinger will start at center for Western Illinois when the Leathernecks open the season Saturday night at New Mexico State. (Photo courtesy Ryan Merklinger)
By Barry Bottino
Ryan Merklinger played 11 games last season at Valparaiso University at guard.
When he arrived at Western Illinois for spring football, he spent time at offensive tackle.
On Saturday night, when the Leathernecks open the season at FBS New Mexico State, Merklinger will have a new spot – center.
“I’m excited about it,” the junior said. “I feel like I’m a plug-and-play guy at all three positions. I made the switch on Day 3 of fall camp. This will be my first (college) start at center.”
Merklinger’s experience makes him a valuable asset for the Leathernecks, who are trying to break a 13-game losing streak and revitalize a running game that produced less than 90 yards a game this season.
“Whenever guys go down, I know I can go right in and help that man,” he said. “That way, you’re not limited to one position or one thing. I know the plays and I can run them from every position.”
Merklinger is one of five new starters on the WIU offensive line since last November’s season finale at Illinois State.
Along with Merklinger at center, the Leathernecks will start Bowling Green transfer Jeremiah Banks-Wall at left tackle, senior Dimitrios Gkountoudis at left guard, Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College transfer Izaya Vimahi at right guard and College of DuPage transfer Dagen Miller at right tackle.
“As an offensive line, we’ve improved so much from the spring,” Merklinger said. “We’ve gotten a lot closer as a group and we’re building that chemistry.”
The Leathernecks also will have a new starter at quarterback in Northern Iowa transfer Matt Morrissey. The Elmhurst native was listed as the team’s No. 1 QB this week on the WIU depth chart.
New places
While Merklinger is about to begin his first season at a new school, his younger brother, Jake, also has gotten a taste of college football.
A senior quarterback at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Ga., Jake Merklinger is a four-star prospect who recently committed to the University of Tennessee.
“He’s been a really big inspiration,” Ryan Merklinger said. “He keeps me going. I’ve been able to go on a couple of recruiting visits with him. It’s been awesome.”
Jake Merklinger is planning to visit Macomb for the Sept. 9 home opener against Illinois State. On Western’s bye week Sept. 30, Ryan Merklinger hopes to watch a Tennessee game in Knoxville with his younger brother.
“He’s been really supportive,” Ryan Merklinger said. “He asks me a lot of questions and I give him the perspective of what a Division I athlete looks like.”
Brotherly love
Despite the support system the brothers provide each other, they had their ups and downs as high school teammates.
“When I was a senior, I was the starting left tackle and Jake ended up winning the starting quarterback job,” Ryan Merklinger said. “We went to the final four of the state playoffs. That was a really good memory.”
As brothers do, Ryan and Jake also hit some rough spots.
“It resulted in a lot of arguments,” Ryan Merklinger said with a laugh. “One game, we got in an argument right there on the 50 (yard line) because I thought he should’ve thrown it away instead of taking a sack.”
What does Ryan Merklinger miss the most?
“It was so fun for everybody,” he said. “Going to Waffle House after the game with my brother and talking about it was something I’ll never forget.”
This week’s opponent
New Mexico State opened its season in Week 0 with a 41-30 home loss to UMass, which snapped a 24-game road losing streak dating back to 2018. NMSU head coach Jerry Kill served as the head coach at Southern Illinois from 2001 to 2007 and at Northern Illinois from 2008 to 2010.
(Kickoff: 8 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Q981fm.com)
Key matchup to watch
WIU linebackers vs. NMSU QB Diego Pavia: The MVP of last year’s Quick Lane Bowl victory, Pavia threw for 13 TDs a season ago, but he’s equally adept as a runner. Pavia was the team’s second-leading rusher last season with more than 500 yards in eight starts and eight TDs on the ground. Western’s linebackers will have to keep a close eye on Pavia to limit the use of his feet.
What’s at stake?
Western Illinois, which was 0-11 last season, is attempting to snap a 13-game losing streak.
Quick hits
NMSU is paying Western $360,000 for the Leathernecks’ visit to Las Cruces, which has an elevation of 3,900 feet. … Western has a new defensive line coach. Darius Jiggetts, who previously worked at D-II Wayne State in Nebraska, is taking over for Jeremy Curry, who left the job during fall camp to focus on his family. Curry’s wife, Kelsey, is the director of football operations at McNeese State in Louisiana. The couple spent last season apart.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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