Western Illinois QB Kennedy McGill has thrived this season as the Leathernecks’ starter. He’s likely to win the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year honor. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Barry Bottino
To his teammates, what Western Illinois quarterback Kennedy McGill does each week is a superpower.
“I call him Batman in practice,” wide receiver Israel Hiraldo said. “If you hit him, he’s going to get back up. (He’s had) a hell of an impact. I feel like he’s a historic type of player. He can run. He can throw. He’s a leader on and off the field.”
Sure, McGill is the leading quarterback rusher in the country (1,291 yards) and his breakout season will likely lead to winning the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year. At the same time, he’s also led by example.
“He’s cool, calm and collected on Saturdays,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said. “His composure has really rubbed off on a lot of the other offensive players.”
McGill and the Leathernecks (6-4 overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) play their final home game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Gardner-Webb (3-7, 2-3). The Leathernecks are in a three-way tie for tie for first place in the conference with Southeast Missouri (6-4, 4-1) and Lindenwood (5-4, 4-1).
SEMO owns the tiebreaker, having defeated both teams. If all three teams win out and finish with the same record, the league will have tri-champs but SEMO would win the automatic bid to go to the FCS playoffs.
Any SEMO loss, however, would open the door for Western to the postseason.
Change equals growth
McGill had a wildly successful career at Division II Central Washington, where he threw for 4,500 yards and rushed for nearly 2,900 yards in three seasons.
So why leave for a WIU team that returned an incumbent quarterback – Cason Carswell – who was the OVC’s Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2025?
“One of my goals has always been to play at the next level,” McGill said. “I thought with one year left, I could make a change and play some Division I football. Coach Davis has had a lot of success with quarterbacks, specifically. It’s been great learning from him.”
McGill said he’s been asked why he made the move by a number of friends and family members.
“I felt that showing that I could make the jump and play well in Division I would be a great opportunity to showcase my skills,” he said. “Change is always uncomfortable. My family members said if change makes you a little nervous, you should probably do it.
“That’s where growth is. I feel like I’m definitely growing as a person and as a football player being out here.”
New year, new home
Hailing from suburban Seattle, McGill is nearly 2,000 miles from home and away from his tight-knit family.
He and his four younger siblings – brother Jackson, sister Madison, brother Lincoln and sister Tyler – interestingly all have presidential first names.
“After a couple of us, I think they noticed a trend,” McGill joked of his father, also named Kennedy, and his mother, Paula. “Our family car that we have is called Air Force One.”
McGill arrived in Macomb as a transfer for the spring semester.
“I got here in January, in the cold Midwest, away from the Pacific Northwest, and didn’t really know anyone,” said McGill, who relocated with his girlfriend, Elly, who he called “an incredible blessing.”
He relies on video calls with his family to stay connected. “We make an effort to FaceTime every day or every other day. I love that. We’re all very close. They’re all very supportive.”
McGill said his family will be in attendance for WIU’s regular-season finale next week at Lindenwood in suburban St. Louis, thanks to his mother.
“My mom is a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, so that makes travel a lot easier on our family,” he said.
Connections on and off the field
While he was building rapport with new teammates on the field, his impact was felt quickly in the locker room and off the field.
McGill was named a team captain after less than a semester on campus.
“Being able to hit if off with so many guys … those relationships will go on long after our time here at Western is done,” he said. “I’ve made some good, close friends here. I get along with the linemen really well, along with everyone else on the team.”
Those connections extend to the field.
In last weekend’s victory at Eastern Illinois, Hiraldo caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from McGill on a play that was a result of the Panthers’ need to play close attention to McGill in the run game.
When asked if he’s every played with a quarterback with McGill’s talents, Hiraldo was decisive.
“Not really. It’s a first-time thing for me and I’m grateful to be here for it,” he said.
Wins, praise have arrived
The Leathernecks, who also boast a wildly improved defense, are riding the high of six wins so far, the program’s most in nearly a decade. And, there are still two games left for Western, the OVC’s highest-scoring offense and top-ranked defense.
“We’re just trusting in the game plan. It’s been going well,” McGill said. “Hopefully, we can keep it going.”
McGill has made plenty of fans this season, especially among opposing coaches.
Eastern Illinois coach Chris Wilkerson compared McGill to two FBS stars – Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, formerly of Florida, and ex-Northern Illinois star and Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch.
“He must be an elite competitor to leave a situation where he had a tremendous amount of success to transfer into a place that had an incumbent that was a very good football player,” Wilkerson said. “That says an awful lot about his competitive nature.”
Wilkerson praised McGill’s rugged running style, along with having the speed to run away from defenders, like he did Oct. 31 on an 84-yard touchdown run past the Charleston Southern secondary.
“He can kill you with his arm, too,” Wilkerson said of McGill, who has rushed for 17 TDs and thrown for 12.
Gardner-Webb coach Pete Bennett, whose team travels to Macomb this week, knows his team has a tall task in defending McGill.
“The film speaks for itself,” he said. “The thing that stands out to me the most is just how physically tough he is. He takes shots, and he just pops right back up and doesn’t miss a beat.”
Kickoff: 1 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: Q981fm.com
Key matchup to watch
Gardner-Webb QB Cole Pennington vs. WIU secondary: Pennington, the son of former NFL quarterback Chad Pennington, returned to the Gardner-Webb lineup last week after missing three games due to injury and threw for three touchdowns. In the team’s first five games, he threw for 295 yards or more four times. In the 2025 season finale, Western beat the Runnin’ Bulldogs, 29-24, but Pennington threw for 356 yards and two second-half touchdowns to rally his team from a 29-10 deficit. “He’s one of the better quarterbacks in the conference, if not the country,” Davis said.
What’s at stake?
The Leathernecks can keep their OVC title hopes – and playoff possibilities – alive with a victory.
Quick hits
During WIU’s current three-game winning streak, the defense has collected 17 tackles for loss, eight sacks and five interceptions. “There are some guys that can hurt you,” Davis said of the defensive depth. “Our defensive staff has done an excellent job schematically trying to put those guys in the best position to succeed. Ten different players have at least one sack, led by linebackers Justin Buckner and Nick Reinicke with 3.5 each. That duo has a combined 22 quarterback hurries this season. Safety Jake Kruger leads the team with three interceptions. Seventeen different players have a tackle for loss, led by Reinicke’s 12.5. … One more victory would guarantee the Leathernecks their first winning season since 2017, which was also the last time WIU went to the playoffs. … Western earned five votes this week in the Stats Perform FCS media poll this week. That marked the first time WIU has been mentioned in a national poll since 2017. … Center Ryan McCombs and tackle Dylan Leiggi both left the Eastern Illinois game with leg injuries. McCombs left the game on a cart during the first half but returned to the sideline with ice on his right knee. “Those are two huge parts of our offense,” Davis said. “They’re working with our training staff to get back as quick as they dan.” Davis said the two starting offensive linemen were day to day this week. Freshman wide receiver Xavier Coleman did not play at EIU and could return against Gardner-Webb. … The Leathernecks lead the OVC this season in 13 offensive categories as a team, including scoring offense (36.2 points a game) and total offense (465.6 yards). The defense leads in three categories, including total defense (297.1 yards a game).
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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