Geneva junior Bennett Konkey, a consensus top receiver in Illinois’ 2027 class, has committed to the University of Illinois after a track season that turned heads and a football resume that’s already climbing.
When Bennett Konkey took the track this spring, the reaction at Wheaton [Warrenville] South was immediate—Boone Thorgesen remembers “gasps in the stadium” as Konkey ran the 100 meters in 10.25 seconds.
That burst of speed didn’t stay confined to the track. It followed Konkey into football recruiting. where his stock soared during a season that ended with him winning the 100- and 200-meter titles in Class 3A last month in Charleston. By this month, a commitment was official: Konkey, a three-star wide receiver and the consensus No. 19 prospect in the state in the 2027 cycle, committed to Illinois.
He’s the second Power Four receiver to come out of Geneva in three seasons after Talyn Taylor, who’s heading into his redshirt-freshman season at Georgia.
Konkey’s pace wasn’t treated as a one-off. He proved the time at WW South wasn’t a fluke by going unbeaten in the 100 and winning all but one 200 race this season.
In a recruiting sense, the point wasn’t just that he was fast—it was that he was the one everyone chased. “That’s a testament to him because he was the guy everybody was chasing all season,” Thorgesen said.
Thorgesen also sees a style to Konkey that translates. “He glides kind of like Talyn,” national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove said.
But football scouts weren’t watching only the stopwatch. Konkey is listed at 6-1 and 190 pounds—big and sturdy enough to win battles—and he’s quick to get separation. “He gets on top of defensive backs quickly,” Cosgrove said. “He has a knack of getting them to flip their hips the wrong way. He’s very hard to cover one-on-one. You’ll see him break tackles and keep going.”.
With speed like that, defenses usually don’t hesitate for long once they notice him. Thorgesen expects double coverage to show up this season, and says he’s already been working around it. “He’s going to be [lined up] at just about every position,” Thorgesen said. “And. you know. it’s hard to put a defense around a kid if you don’t know where he’s at.”.
Last season, Konkey’s production backed up the hype. He caught 41 passes for 739 yards and nine touchdowns, bringing his two-year totals to 70 receptions for 1,287 yards and 15 TDs. Illinois is getting him as it looks to improve on a 4-5 finish last season. and for Geneva. he’s a centerpiece built for both explosive plays and consistent effort.
That steadiness shows up in how Thorgesen talks about him off the field. “He’s a tremendous character kid,” Thorgesen said. “He works his butt off. He does everything you ask as a coach. He’s the first one here. He’s working extra. He leads by example.”
Konkey’s commitment arrived as Illinois continued to prioritize in-state recruiting. Illini coach Bret Bielema added recent commitments from St. Laurence linebacker Sean Rice and Oak Forest kicker Ulysses Morales.
Rice is a three-star prospect ranked 44th in the state in his class. The 6-2, 210-pounder said his recruiting took off after he moved to linebacker last season. “It was a big shift,” he told the Sun-Times. “I had gone on visits to MAC schools as a [defensive] end. It was kind of a crazy flip from when I was a D-end that they kind of didn’t really pay attention to.”.
Bennett Konkey Geneva Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver commitment Class 3A track Wheaton Warrenville South Clint Cosgrove Talyn Taylor