Western Illinois football picked up its third Peoria-area commitment in three days.
Morton senior linebacker Isaac Beenders announced on social media Tuesday his commitment to Western Illinois, teaming him with Journal Star all-area running back Detaurion Pollard (Peoria High) and wide receiver MaKai Hill (Manual). Hill made his commitment on Sunday, while Pollard verballed Monday.
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“After a lot of thought and long conversations with family,” Beenders posted, “I have decided to flip my commitment to Western Illinois!”
Beenders was originally committed to Division-III Wisconsin-Whitewater before choosing the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program in Macomb.
During the 2025 season, the 6-foot, 205-pounder had 28 tackles, with 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks in six games. He recorded 12 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 1.0 sack and a 40-yard, pick-6 in a Class 5A first-round victory over Calumet City Thornton Fractional North as the Potters finished 7-4.
Western Illinois was 4-8 overall last season and 3-5 during Ohio Valley/Big South play. The Leathernecks open their 2026 campaign at home against Northwestern (Iowa) College on Aug. 27.
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Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: Morton Isaac Beenders commits to Western Illinois
