ARTHUR (WCIA) — Committing to play football at his dream school and becoming to the first Division I football player in Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School history, Kaden Feagin isn’t letting the pressure get to him. 

“I put most of the pressure on myself,” Feagin said. “Even if someone outside like Twitter, if they’re saying something, I’ve probably already said it about myself.” 

And the Illinois commit is finally feeling 100 percent, coming off surgery for ankle injury he played on for all of 2021. 

“Just more confidence and being able to do what I want now,” said Feagin. “Just not thinking about it and just playing.” 

“He had a little bit of injury issues, but he played strong through the end of the year,” Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond coach Ryan Jefferson said. “This year, with him being healthy, I think it scares a lot of people.” 

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound athlete could see himself playing anywhere the Illini want him to next season but the Illini coaches wanted him as a running back at the next level. 

“I feel like I’ll fit right in,” added Feagin. “When I go on visits and stuff I talk to all of them. Coach Patterson makes me feel at home.” 

The Knights start to the season has been up and down, losing big to Tri-Valley in the opener before a bounce back blowout win against Meridian. Feagin is the go-to guy as a dual-threat quarterback for ALAH, with 227 yards and two scores on the ground to go along with 142 yards and three more touchdowns through the air. Feagin wouldn’t be blamed for being distracted by next year with the Illini but his focus is solely on winning games with the Knights right now. 

“Winning conference, just winning out all the rest of the games and then getting a home playoff game,” Feagin said. “Cause my brothers, they played a home playoff game, and just seeing the atmosphere and stuff.” 

Feagin will graduate in December to enroll early at Illinois but for this week, his eyes are on Villa Grove and the WCIA 3 Friday Football Fever Spotlight Game of the Week.