Austin Wilkinson, one of the top-rated punter/kickers in the country has transferred to East St. Louis. (Photo: Deena Millbrook)
EAST ST. LOUIS, IL — With the high school football season set to begin in less than three weeks, one of the top-rated punter/kickers in the country announced recently his plans to transfer to East St. Louis High School and play for the Flyers.
Austin Wilkinson, a junior-to-be five-star rated punter/kicker, who many experts believe is the best high school punter in the state of Illinois, will transfer from Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville to play for the powerhouse Flyers this season.
“At the end of the day, my family and I talked about this and we were like, ‘we’ve go to do what’s best for us and our family,'” Wilkinson said, after announcing through social media that he intends to leave Althoff and attend East St. Louis this year.
Adding Wilkinson means the Flyers will have at least three five-star rated players on their roster this season. East Side already had top-ranked running back Myson Johnson-Cook, who rushed for 1,341 yards and scored 20 touchdowns last season, before committing to play his college ball at Auburn.
Then this offseason, East St. Louis added another transfer from Althoff in quarterback Jayden Ellington, who threw for 1,278 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing for 395 yards and seven more scores. Ellington has committed to Northern Iowa, but many believe he might have plans to de-commit from UNI and go for a scholarship at a bigger school if he has a big senior season with the Flyers.
East St. Louis running back Myson Johnson-Cook is one of the top-rated players in Illinois high school football this season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Wilkinson, a 6-foot, 195-pounder, will also be East Side’s placekicker this season. At Althoff, he made several field goals from beyond 40 yards and also made 50 yarders in practice, but most scouts believe his best skill is at punting and his best shot at a college scholarship will be as a punter.
“I didn’t really start punting until about eighth grade,” Wilkinson said. “I like it because you can basically have your own settings and work on it by yourself.”
The Flyers will begin the new season on Saturday, August 22, when they’ll take on defending state champion Chicago Mount Carmel, in a showdown game at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill.
East Side’s first home game of the season will be on September 5, when the Flyers will host Gainesville (Ga.) High at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium.
2026 EAST ST. LOUIS FLYERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 22, 2026 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Neutral | Chicago Mount Carmel | Normal, IL |
| August 28, 2026 (Friday) | 6 pm | Neutral | American Heritage (FL) | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| September 4, 2026 (Friday) | 7:30 pm | Home | Gainesville (GA) | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium |
| September 11, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | O’Fallon* | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium |
| September 18, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Belleville East* | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium |
| September 25, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Edwardsville* | Edwardsville, IL |
| October 2, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Belleville West* | Belleville, IL |
| October 9, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Alton* | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium |
| October 16, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Naperville North | Naperville, IL |
* – denotes Southwestern Conference game