Division I prospect Logan Lennon makes things happen for Antioch

Antioch’s Logan Lennon can do virtually anything on a football field.

A 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior who has an offer from Miami of Ohio and interest from other MAC teams, Lennon presents the Sequoits with an unusual but welcome complication.

“Versatility is definitely a strength of mine,” he said. “I guess I’m a running back. But to be honest, I’m just an athlete who can do anything asked of me. I can jump into the slot or even out wide.

“You could put me at defensive end, and I’d do something for you.”

Lennon’s splashiest contributions last season came on the offensive side of the ball. He finished with 77 carries for 848 yards and nine touchdowns along with 14 catches for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He scored five times in Antioch’s 56-15 Northern Lake County Conference win over Lakes in Week 5.

Defensively, Lennon probably won’t line up in the trenches this season, but he is expected to patrol the secondary as a starting safety. The Sequoits (8-3), who lost to Lake Zurich in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs last year and will play Schaumburg at home in the season opener on Aug. 21, also want to get the ball in Lennon’s hands in the return game as much as possible.

“He’s so polished in every part of playing football,” Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said. “He’s a perfect example of someone playing in the modern age of football. He can be in the slot, out wide, in the backfield, and he can cover half the field as a Cover-2 safety.

“He’s just a playmaker, and the creative part is finding ways to get him near the football.”

Lennon isn’t the Sequoits’ only playmaker on offense. Also returning are senior fullback Gavin Stone, who rushed for 1,034 yards and 13 TDs last season; junior running back Kelen Wilson, who rushed for 707 yards and 13 TDs; and senior quarterback Ethan Patel, who threw six touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown.

So Lennon probably won’t get as many touches as he would on other teams. He intends to make the most of each one.

“My mom has always told me that when you get the ball, move like it’s the last time the coach is going to give it to you,” he said. “So every time I get the ball, I try to capitalize on it.

“Obviously, anybody would rather get the ball than block because it’s a thrill getting the ball when it’s your turn. But at the end of the day, if we win, that’s the most important thing.”

Patel understands Lennon’s importance to winning for the Sequoits.

“Having him on our side makes things so much easier because you can trust him all over the field,” Patel said. “He’s developed so much athletically, but he can also track the ball like no one else.

“The other day, I threw a pretty bad ball, but he still caught it off a tip after it bounced around a couple of times.”

Lennon’s athleticism is a game-changer, and it runs in his family. His older brother Aiden graduated from Antioch in 2023 and played football at Quincy College. Their father is a former high-level soccer player, and relatives on that side of the family have played in Belize’s national soccer program.

“There are some athletic freaks on my family tree,” Lennon said.

Lennon values advice from his older brother in particular.

“He loves watching me play,” Lennon said. “He was an incredible blocker, more of a bulldozer type. But he helps me out with some things I need to work on, like making good use when I don’t have the ball.”

Lennon is also trying to be more of a leader this season.

“Last year, I was a listener and learner who took constructive criticism and tried to apply what I was taught,” he said. “This year, I’m still taking coaching, but I’ve been blessed with such knowledge at an early age, I want to continue to use it to coach other kids. You need 22 players on a team all working together.”

Lennon puts in the work in the classroom too. He received his offer from Miami of Ohio while he was on campus for an academic camp on June 12. He wonders whether an Ivy League university is a possibility.

“The offer made me feel validated that I put in all of this work to create an opportunity to keep playing,” he said. “But that isn’t it. I don’t want to relax. It fuels me to keep going to see how many offers I can get.

“It’s almost like a game for me to see how far I can take this football thing.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.