Elite high school athletes have long been ingrained in the fabric of the Peoria area. The next generation of these athletes are on the courts, fields, diamonds and tracks around central Illinois.

Here is a growing list of Peoria-area athletes who have officially signed or are verbally committed to play NCAA Division I athletics.

If you have any additions, please email us at sports@pjstar.com.

IHSA sports: The Peoria area's 604 names to know in high school sports for the 2022-23 school year

Class of 2025

• Lexi Brinkman, Illini Bluffs - Illinois State softball

• Jenna Flessner, Washington - Valparaiso softball

• Noah LaPorte, Princeton - Northwestern football

• Cam Nickel, Metamora - Western Illinois football

• Kaidance Till, Metamora - Ole Miss softball

• Blaine Williams, Tremont - Illinois baseball

• Logan Walliker, Washington - Valparaiso men's swimming & diving

• Matthew Zobrist, Metamora - Bradley men's basketball

• Kaitlin Cassidy, Peoria Notre Dame - Southern Illinois-Edwardsville women's basketball

Class of 2026

• No junior athletes have yet to verbally commit to play D-I.

Class of 2027

• No sophomore athletes have yet to verbally commit to play D-I.

Class of 2028

• No freshman athletes have yet to verbally commit to play D-I.

Class of 2024

• Kennady Anderson, Annawan/Wethersfield - Illinois women's cross country/track & field

• Evan Barlow, Morton - Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball

• Syriah Boyd, Galesburg - Tennessee State women's track & field

• Brianna Brodie, Princeville - Illinois State women's track & field

• Eoin Dillon, Notre Dame - Belmont men's basketball

• Danika Frazier, Olympia - Illinois softball

• Thomas Graham, Peoria Notre Dame - Bradley men's soccer

• Morgan Grant, Illinois Valley Central - Eastern Illinois women's golf

• Aaliyah Guyton, Peoria High - Iowa women's basketball

• Cooper Koch, Metamora - Iowa men's basketball

• Sophie Krueger, Morton - Eastern Illinois women's track & field

• Michael McLaughlin, Peoria Notre Dame - Butler football

• Payne Miller, Princeton - Western Illinois football

• Julia Sollberger, Dunlap - Northern Illinois women's basketball

• Lathan Sommerville, Richwoods - Rutgers men's basketball

• Mya Strahm, Elmwood/Brimfield - Tennessee women's track & field

• Ally Unruh, Dunlap - Valparaiso swimming

• Josh Vaughn, Illini Bluffs - Bradley baseball

• Mya Wardle, Notre Dame - Eastern Kentucky women’s basketball

• Chelsea Wetzel, Dunlap - Kentucky women's track and field

• Bennett Williams, Princeton - Air Force football

NIL and high schools: IHSA has new rules for name, image and likeness. What that means for Illinois athletes

Class of 2023

• Kenna Wollard, Illinois Valley Central - Purdue volleyball

• Kennedy Adair, Macomb - Western Illinois volleyball

• Victoria Hall, Metamora - Incarnate Word volleyball

• Justin Page, East Peoria - Cal Poly men's basketball

• Ethan Kizer, Metamora - South Alabama men's basketball

• Claire McDougall, Washington - Bradley women's basketball

• Denali Craig-Edwards, Peoria High - Western Michigan women's basketball

• Teegan Davis, Princeton - Iowa football

• Ben Wallace, Metamora - Illinois State football

• Declan Duley, El Paso-Gridley - Illinois football

• Mac Resetich, Hall - Illinois football

• Jeremiah Clements, Manual - Western Illinois football

• Blaine Halley, Olympia - Southern Illinois football

• Jack Stump, Morton - Lindenwood University football

• Ian Mutchler, Morton - South Dakota State football

• Ethan Ladd, Macomb - Western Illinois football

• David Russell, Illinois Valley Central - Northern Iowa men's track and field

• Tyler Bickerman, Rushville-Industry - Memphis men's track and field

• Zenon Rule, Richwoods - Indiana State men's track and field

• Lindley Johnston, Stark County - Murray State women's track and field

• Karlee Zumstein, Canton - Western Illinois women's track and field

• Cambria Geyer, Tremont - Illinois State women's track and field

• Drew Tucker, Metamora - Southern Illinois-Edwardsville men's track and field

• Katie Petran, Illinois Valley Central - Butler softball

• Katy Ramage, Metamora - Northern Illinois softball

• Gracie Luna, East Peoria - Southeast Missouri State softball

• Kannon Webster, Washington - Illinois wrestling

• Blake Hinrichsen, Washington - Cal Poly wrestling

• Carter Stevenson, Pekin - Bradley men's golf

• Joel McIntyre, Peoria Notre Dame - Western Illinois men's soccer

• Mitch Coughlon, Washington - Bradley men’s soccer

• Ben Johnson, Dunlap - Penn State lacrosse

• Jack Duncan, Macomb - Western Illinois baseball

• Tate Roley, Morton - Bradley baseball

• Slater Wilcox, Eureka - Eastern Illinois baseball

• Corrail Jackson, Limestone - Mississippi Valley State baseball

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: List of Peoria athletes committed to play NCAA Division I sports