Illini add 5th-year transfer wide receiver

Illinois landed a commitment on Wednesday from fifth year transfer Shaedon Meadors, a wide receiver from Appalachian State. The commitment comes after Meadors took two visits to Illinois during the football season.

"It felt like home," Meadors said. "I looked at the rebuilding of the program. We're going to be a really good team in future years."

In three seasons at App State, Meadors hauled in 81 catches for 1,442 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was selected second team All-Sun Belt Conference following the 2016 season, leading the Mountaineers receiving corps with 716 yards.

Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield announced in September that Meadors would take a redshirt season in 2017 after battling through some leg injuries in training camp.

Appalachian State has been an FBS program since 2014. Last year, Meadors helped lead the Mountaineers to a 10-3 record, including a 31-28 win over Toledo in the Camellia Bowl.

Meadors wasn't deterred by the tough season that Illinois is having in the field this year.

"Just looking it you can see it's a bunch of young guys, so its hard to compete with teams that have a lot of seniors," he said. "There were like 20 freshman playing. They will be grown next year and won't make the mistakes they made this year."

Illinois sold Meadors on an opportunity to step into the lineup replacing senior Malik Turner, giving the team a veteran presence in the receiving corps. Meadors said he and Ricky Smalling will make a strong pair.

"I'm a playmaker and a deep threat," Meadors said. "I think with me and Ricky on the outside, we are going to be a good duo."

Meadors has a connection to Illinois in running backs coach Thad Ward, who recruited Meadors as a high school prospect.

"That was huge," Meadors said. "Coach Ward has believed in me since I started getting offers in high school. He was one of the first coaches to talk to me. When I had a chance to find a new school and graduate program, he was the first person I called."

Meadors was a 3-star prospect in the class of 2014 coming out of Duncan (SC) Byrnes High School. He picked Appalachian State from a top four that also included Rutgers, Wake Forest, and Old Dominion.

He will transfer to Illinois mid-year and enroll for the spring semester in 2018. He will earn his degree in criminal justice at App St. at the end of the current semester in December.