10 Senior Wide Receivers Who Dominated the 2025 Regular Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the regular season wrapped up, a handful of senior wideouts across Illinois separated themselves with big-time production. These 10 pass catchers consistently made game-changing plays and gave defenses headaches all fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Junious Thomas – Marion</strong><br>Thomas was as reliable as they come, leading this group with <strong>1,017 receiving yards</strong> on <strong>56 catches</strong>, averaging <strong>113 yards per game</strong>. He showed explosive playmaking ability with a long of 67 yards and found the end zone <strong>12 times</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1669995' first='Max' last='Hembrey'] – Grant Community (Fox Lake)</strong><br>Hembrey was a pure deep threat all season. He piled up <strong>1,005 yards and 14 touchdowns</strong> on only <strong>39 receptions</strong>, averaging a massive <strong>25.77 yards per catch</strong>. His 84-yard long was one of the season's highlight plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zach Smith – Maroa-Forsyth</strong><br>Smith posted <strong>926 yards and 16 touchdowns</strong> while averaging <strong>18.16 yards per reception</strong>. With 51 catches on the year, he was a go-to target every week and one of the most productive scorers in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='212314' first='Jacob' last='Harvey'] – Mt. Zion</strong><br>Harvey racked up <strong>916 yards and 11 touchdowns</strong> on <strong>52 receptions</strong>, with a long of 88 yards. His steady production and big-play speed helped power a high-octane Mt. Zion passing game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cade Cunningham – Normal University</strong><br>Cunningham was a chain-mover and scoring threat, finishing with <strong>895 yards and 13 touchdowns</strong> on 54 catches. His 99.4 yards per game gave NU a consistent vertical presence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tate Duckels – Carlinville</strong><br>Duckels made his mark out of the backfield and the slot, catching <strong>57 passes for 882 yards and 11 touchdowns</strong>. His versatility was a big reason Carlinville's offense kept defenses on their heels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1472518' first='Tre' last='Hoggard'] – Tolono Unity</strong><br>Hoggard was a nightmare matchup for secondaries, averaging <strong>20.28 yards per catch</strong> on 43 receptions. He totaled <strong>872 yards and 12 scores</strong>, proving he can stretch the field at any time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marquan Brewster – Fremd</strong><br>Brewster brought steady production all year, finishing with <strong>869 yards and 12 touchdowns</strong> on 58 catches. His 56-yard long and reliability made him a key piece of Fremd's attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyler Wentink – Hersey</strong><br>Wentink closed the regular season with <strong>842 yards and 11 touchdowns</strong> on 47 receptions. His ability to get open and make contested grabs helped Hersey's passing game shine.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1452224' first='Kale' last='Thurman'] – Springfield</strong><br>Thurman rounded out the group with <strong>823 yards and 14 touchdowns</strong> on 46 catches. He averaged over 102 yards per game and had a 90-yard highlight grab that showcased his breakaway speed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->