December signing period 2025: Bright lights shine on in-state Western Illinois recruits

WIU head coach Joe Davis added multiple offensive players Wednesday among 11 recruits the program signed. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)

By Barry Bottino

Two players who were among the Western Illinois Leathernecks’ December signing period class Wednesday played on the biggest stage in the state over the past week.

Wide receiver Xavier Coleman of Providence Catholic in New Lenox and running back Kaiden Stout of Rochester High School both shined in state championship games.

On Wednesday, they were part of WIU’s 11-player recruiting class that was announced by the school via social media.

In Tuesday’s snow-delayed Class 5A state title game in Normal, Coleman caught four passes for a game-high 107 yards and a touchdown in Providence’s 39-35 loss to Wheaton St. Francis.

Last weekend, Stout and his Rochester teammates lost the Class 4A championship game, 47-33, to Lombard Montini despite piling up 440 yards. Stout rushed for a team-high 97 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 18 yards.

Coleman and Stout were among seven offensive players signed by the Leathernecks, who boasted the OVC-Big South Football Association rushing champion (Markel Hollman) and the league’s Offensive Freshman of the Year (quarterback Cason Carswell).

Coleman was one of three receivers signed Wednesday.

He was joined in the class by Quincy Notre Dame’s Gavin Doellman (6-3, 200 pounds) and 6-6 Ohio native Christopher Bouyer, who played at Lakota East HS north of Cincinnati.

WIU’s December 2025 Signing Period List  

(Name, Position(s), Height, Weight, School, Hometown)  

High school recruits

Cooper Kowalczyk, OL, 6-4, 265, St. Charles North HS, Elburn, Ill.

Drew Leuckel, ATH, 6-3, 230, Perryville Senior HS, Perryville, Mo.

Mekhi Newman, S, 6-2, 170, Springfield HS, Springfield, Ill.

Gavin Doellman, WR, 6-3, 200, Quincy Notre Dame HS, Quincy, Ill.

Brylen Taylor, DB, 6-3, 205, Choctaw HS, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Noah Tieden, TE, 6-4, 170, Blaine Senior HS, Ham Lake, Minn.

Cody Moss, DL, 6-3, 265, Glenwood HS, Rochester, Ill.

Christopher Bouyer, WR, 6-6, 205, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio

Xavier Coleman, WR, 6-1, 195, Providence Catholic HS, Chicago

Gage Strugill, QB, 6-0, 185, Fishers HS, Noblesville, Ind.

Kaiden Stout, RB, 6-3, 185, Rochester HS, Springfield, Ill.

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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