Sophomore wide receiver Hayden Eligon II did not know much about Northwestern when the program first started to recruit him. But everything changed when wide receivers coach Armon Binns came into the fold.
Once Eligon — a Lakewood, California native — and Binns — a Pasadena, California native — got to talking, the two formed a special connection aided by their roots.
“Just from our conversations on the phone and in person, I could tell he was really the coach who wanted to develop me to my fullest potential,” Eligon told The Daily on Monday. “I knew if I wanted to be in a spot where I have a chance at making it to the league, that coach Binns was the coach to get me there.”
On Friday, Eligon and Binns will play in front of a familiar crowd when the Wildcats (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) face USC.
Eligon said he is trying to treat the matchup with the Trojans (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) as a regular game, but did admit it is exciting to play in California for the first time in around two years. While he did not grow up a fan of USC, he did go to a lot of the games, since he had family friends on the team.
“It was definitely a good experience as a kid, just growing up, being in the Coliseum (and) watching the games,” Eligon said. “I never would have thought I’d be playing in the Coliseum, so it’s truly a blessing.”
The occasion calls for a similar nostalgia from Binns, who grew up watching USC and playing games around that area.
But the pair’s connection runs deeper than hometown ties. The now-NU wide receivers coach was once a star receiver at Cincinnati who enjoyed an NFL career. During the recruiting process, Binns saw a lot of himself in Eligon.
In his senior season with the Bearcats, Binns was listed at 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds. This season, Eligon is listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. That similar frame gives way to a similar tool kit.
Binns said that was a big part of the selling pitch for Eligon, and it’s continued to help him in the development of his players.
“I joke with guys all the time; it’s a lot easier to teach someone how to run a route when you’ve ran the route yourself before,” Binns said. “It allows the kid to have confidence in the things that you’re saying, the techniques you are trying to teach them.”
Considering Eligon’s jump from his freshman season last year, the connection has worked well.
The sophomore appeared in nine games a year ago, hauling in four passes for 83 yards. Binns said that there is always that elephant in the room with the redshirt situation, but it was never a conversation with Eligon. When he was needed, he went on the field and competed.
In 2025, his role has elevated to becoming a reliable option for graduate student quarterback Preston Stone. Eligon has caught 15 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, while making game-changing plays.
Notably, during his career-high four catch performance against Nebraska, Eligon contributed a 30-yard reception and a critical fourth down conversion on the ’Cats’ first touchdown drive. He also capped off the second touchdown drive with a two-point conversion grab.
Eligon said understanding and reading defenses better are the biggest improvements to his game this season. Having the opportunity to play his freshman year is also key to his development.
“I’ll always remember my very first college game, being thrown in,” Eligon said. “I was just so nervous, all the nerves running. Now, anytime I go in, it’s common habit. It clicks easy for me.”
Playing in his home state Friday night will come with some extra nerves and excitement, but Eligon does not want it to distract him.
In order to play well in front of his grandmother, family and friends that he has not seen in years, Eligon is focused on locking in and executing. Binns will also have a lot of family in the Coliseum, adding extra incentive for a good performance.
“It’ll be a really special opportunity to go out there and coach my heart out for these guys back in my hometown,” Binns said. “Hopefully we can go out there, do our job and get a win.”
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