Peter Bonahoom
Wide Receiver
6′-2″, 200 lbs.
rs-Freshman (walkon, 4 years to play 4)
Prospect HS / Arlington Heights, Illinois

ALE Ranking last year: NR

What I Know About Him:

Lots. Because when the SID asked for names of players that we wanted to interview after the spring game, I asked for Bonahoom. I love any player that chooses to put on the orange and blue. But I might love the walkons more. All of that hard work, all of those early mornings and late nights, and paying their own way to do it. Walkons for the win.

(By the way, if you missed my interview with Bonahoom, here it is.)

Bonahoom was Miles Osei’s main target at Prospect HS (he was a junior when Osei was a senior), and despite having a offers to play baseball for schools like Bradley and Houston, he decided to walk on and play football at Illinois. He redshirted last year, so he enters this year as a freshman.

What I Expect From Him:

This is probably way too high a ranking for Bonahoom. Because I’m such a sucker for walkons, I’ve probably boosted his stock beyond where it should be. Not only is he a walkon, but he’s a freshman walkon. Expecting minutes out of him is probably silly. But…

We are short on wideouts. And he does run solid routes. And he does seem to have good hands. I still think Millines, Lankford, and Harris start. And I still think Rock and Whitlow are battling for the next spot. But I see no reason Bonahoom can’t fight with Kenny Knight for here-and-there minutes at wide receiver. Especially since Anthony Williams and Jordan Frysinger are no longer with the team and freshman JJ Robertson didn’t qualify. Plus, walkon Jake Kumerow is gone as well. There are minutes to be had, and I think Bonahoom can do it.