Kaneland High School wide receiver Aric Johnson is part of the first signing class at Western Illinois for new head coach Joe Davis. (Photo courtesy Aric Johnson)
By Barry Bottino
Since he was introduced as the new head coach at Western Illinois, former Eastern Illinois offensive coordinator Joe Davis and his staff worked quickly to put together a five-man class of prep signees.
On Wednesday, the Leathernecks introduced their first recruiting class under Davis.
The offensive got a potentially impactful additions in St. Louis quarterback Antwon McKay Jr., a first-team all-state player as chosen by the Missouri Football Coaches Association who led his team to Class 5 state championships as a junior and senior.
Wide receiver Aric Johnson played on both sides of the ball at Kaneland High School, near DeKalb, Ill. He had nine receiving touchdowns and three rushing scores in his final prep season. Adrian Wynn is a 6-foot-6 tight end from Tennessee.
On defense, Illinois prep lineman Payne Miller will use his 285-pound frame along the defensive line. Last season, the defensive front was part of a unit that allowed 39 rushing touchdowns and 238.8 yards a game.
Missouri cornerback Rodney McNeil Jr. joins a secondary that had only three interceptions in 2023.
Edgy’s Thoughts
Timothy “Edgy Tim” O’Halloran shares his take on a key Illinois recruit headed to Macomb — Kaneland WR Aric Johnson.
“He’s a nice player. Multi-year starter. Good size. He got bigger and stronger the last couple of off-seasons. Kaneland was a pretty powerful offense, so he got plenty of catches and touches the last couple years.”
Biggest need filled on offense: Wide receiver. Western lost nearly one-fourth of its receptions with the departures of Jaylin Jackson and Tajh Sanders.
Biggest need filled on defense: Defensive tackle. With the signing of Miller, the Leathernecks fill a huge need up front.
Where they come from, by level: All five are high school players.
Where they come from, by state: Three states are represented with two players are from Illinois, two from Missouri and one from Tennessee.
Player closest to campus: Miller at 133 miles. The lineman has just over a two-hour drive from Princeton, Ill., near LaSalle-Peru.
Player farthest from campus: Wynn at 676 miles. The tight end hails from Jonesborough, a town in eastern Tennessee.
Tallest player: 6-6. Wynn.
Shortest player: 6-0. Tie between McNeil Jr. and Johnson.
Heaviest player: 285. Miller, the Princeton lineman.
Lightest player: 170. McKay Jr., the St. Louis quarterback.
WIU Early Signing Day List
(Name, Position(s), Height, Weight, School, Hometown)
Payne Miller, DT, 6-2, 285, Princeton HS, Princeton, Ill.
Rodney McNeil Jr., CB, 6-0, 180, Hickman HS, Columbia, Mo.
Antwon McKay Jr., QB, 6-2, 170, Cardinal Ritter College Prep, St. Louis
Aric Johnson, WR, 6-0, 200, Kaneland HS, Aurora, Ill.
Adrian Wynn, TE, 6-6, 220, David Crocket HS, Jonesborough, Tenn.
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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