Senior defensive end Peyton Bradford was named to the OVC-Big South Football Association Players to Watch Preseason List. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
Peyton Bradford was frustrated. Perhaps he was more than frustrated. The then-junior Western Illinois defensive end desperately wanted to get more playing time.
But, this isn’t a case of a player tearing up the locker room or bursting into a coach’s office shouting his demands.
Instead, the Oakdale, Calif., native harkened back to his formative years and took a more rational approach.
“One of the things that I learned in high school from my coach, Trent Merzon, was that you don’t give up even when stuff is hard,” Bradford said. “Giving up is not an option, especially here. It’s always keep pounding no matter how hard it is. You have to find a way.”
That way was knocking on WIU head coach Joe Davis’s office door and politely entering.
“It’s a great football story,” Davis said. “Peyton wasn’t getting the reps that he wanted to get. He came into my office and said, ‘Coach, how do I get on the field more?’”
Bradford suppressed his disappointment.
“When I walked into that room I was obviously very frustrated and instead of being disrespectful and saying, ‘I deserve this!’ it was more of ‘What can I do to be where I feel like I can be or where I see myself being,’” Bradford said.
Davis calmly responded, “I understand where you’re coming from. I hear you. Just keep going. Keep doing what you’re doing. Your stock is rising. Just keep going.”
With those words echoing in his head, Bradford pushed through continued frustration in hopes an opportunity would present itself.
That opportunity arrived in the Leathernecks’ season finale, a Nov. 23 game against Gardner-Webb at Macomb’s Hanson Field.
Before kickoff, Bradford told fellow defensive end Jalen Riven that he was going to get four sacks in the game. Riven responded by laughing.
“I said, ‘I’m serious, I’m going to have four sacks today. Watch,’” Bradford countered.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Bradford fell one short of his goal, instead registering three sacks in WIU’s 45-28 victory. His performance earned him OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Week.
“Through junior college, through high school, nothing tops how that felt. It allowed us to seal off our season with a win and give us more momentum going into the offseason,” he said.
It also raised expectations for Bradford, now a senior who landed on the OVC-Big South Football Association Players to Watch list that was released last week.
“I hope my performance against Gardner-Webb happens every week. That’s the expectation now,” Bradford said.
“To have him back here as our leader and as our catalyst on defense, I can’t say enough about Peyton Bradford and what he’s meant to this football program,” Davis said.
Talent in the trenches
As the Leathernecks prepare to open fall camp later this month, Davis identified the position group most ready for the season.
“Unquestionably our offensive line. I’m as excited about this offensive line as I have been in recent years,” he said.
When Davis was named WIU head coach, offensive line coach Brad Wilson was the first assistant hired.
“He’s an unbelievable coach,” Davis said. “He has completely flipped our offensive line room.”
Davis has always valued size on the offensive line.
“We’re never going to be a small offensive line. We’re going to recruit for size and length and physicality and multi-sport guys,” he said.
Davis said WIU finished spring practice with “eight or nine guys” who could play significant snaps this fall.
“I still think there’s a little bit to figure out who is where (position-wise). I’ve always said we’re going to play the best five linemen. If we’ve got five great tackles, someone at tackle is going to learn how to play center or guard real quick,” he said.
The Western offensive line features Dagen Miller, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound senior captain who began his career at College of DuPage.
“He has a chance to be one of the best offensive lineman in the country,” Davis said.
Both Miller and Jeremiah Banks-Wall played their high school football at Montini Catholic in Lombard.
Banks-Wall, listed at 6-4 and 305 pounds, transferred to WIU from FBS Bowling Green, where he made 13 starts in 2022. He had 10 starts for the Leathernecks in 2023. However, an injury curtailed his 2024 season.
“He only played a couple of series for us last year,” Davis said. “He had a medical condition and missed the whole year. I believe he should be the best left tackle in this league. There’s not a doubt in my mind.”
Western added 6-4, 300-pound James Durand, a transfer from FBS Wisconsin, in January. Durand was a four-star prospect by Rivals coming out of Basha High School in Gilbert, Ariz.
“We struck gold at mid-year,” Davis said. “You know my thoughts on size on the offensive line. Coach Wilson has really led that charge.”
QB depth chart
Senior Chris Irvin enters fall camp first on the quarterback depth chart, Davis said. The Idaho native served as the top backup in 2024. Irvin completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 174 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.
“He had an excellent spring,” Davis said. “Chris has a really, really strong grasp of our offense. I challenged him on a couple of things this summer from a technical standpoint to see if he could improve. He’s done that. He carries himself as a starting quarterback.”
Davis added that redshirt freshman Tanner Zolnosky is “going to get every shot to knock him (Irvin) off” and is listed as No. 2 on the WIU chart.
Zolnosky came off the bench to lead Western on a touchdown drive last fall at playoff-bound Southeast Missouri.
“Tanner was a walk-on here,” Davis said. “In my opinion, he’s got starting quarterback written all over him, (but) he’s still just a redshirt freshman so when exactly does that light go on?”
Junior T.C. Molk and redshirt freshman Antwon McKay Jr. are the other quarterbacks on the roster.
Davis said that WIU will likely announce the Leathernecks’ starting QB the week leading into its Aug. 29 opener at FBS Illinois.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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