The 2018 Illinois team will add a proven productive weapon to what has been a lifeless offense during this season.

Appalachian State transfer Shaedon Meadors committed to Illinois on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt junior, who sat out the 2017 season with an injury, will be immediately eligible due to the NCAA grad-transfer rule. He will graduate next month and arrive at Illinois in January.

“It just felt like home. It’s a lot different than other places," Meadors told Illini Inquirer. "The coaches are really genuine. From the bottom guy on the team that knows that they’re not going to play, I couldn’t find one person that said anything bad about them. It’s been different at other schools. This place seems different. It seems like they really have an atmosphere and the coaches care about you. I see a young team that’s really just missing that one piece that can take them to the next level. I think I can be a big part of it.”

As a junior, Meadors totaled 45 receptions, 716 yards and two touchdowns and earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors. In three seasons at Appalachian State, Meadors totaled 1,442 receiving yards.

A three-star prospect out of Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes High, Meadors also visited West Virginia and had interest from Missouri. He took an official visit to Illinois in October and followed up with an unofficial visit to Champaign this month.

“Really the second visit was just to make sure I wasn’t over-hyping it the first time," Meadors said. "When I got there the first time, I knew or I thought this was a place I’d like to be. Going back, I brought my family again, and they loved it. Coach (Lovie Smith) treated my parents amazing, just getting past the recruiting part. Right after the Wisconsin game, he talked to my parents. You don’t expect a coach to do that after a loss. But he came up and made sure we were already. Before he talked to the media, he made sure to talk to them. That made a real big impact on me.”

Meadors will fill a need at receiver. The Illini lose Malik Turner to graduation, and injuries this season have shown a lack of proven depth. Illinois ranks 125th among 129 FBS teams in scoring offense.

“I know from the outside the offense doesn’t look good,” Meadors said. “I can see Coach (Garrick) McGee calling the plays they need to call. It’s just the plays are not being made or small errors or penalties are what is killing the offense. Like I said, they’re a young team. Most of them are freshmen. As time ages on, they’ll get better and better and those little ticks they’re missing will come together. I see a big-time thing coming."

Freshman receiver Ricky Smalling (495 yards, 2 TDs) and freshman tight end Louis Dorsey (332 yards, 3 TDs) lead the team in receiving yards this season. Meadors got to know the two high-ceiling freshmen during his visits.

"I'm a big playmaker type of guy," Meadors said. "Me and Rick will probably be on the outside, and I think it's going to be a big matchup problem in the Big Ten."

Meadors said he clicked with Smalling and Dorsey during the visit.

“They’re good guys,” Meadors said. “They just want me to come in and show them how to win. They know I come from winning programs in college and high school. I’ve won all my life, and they want to win too.”

Individually, Meadors now has the opportunity to prove he can play at the highest collegiate level.

"To me, football is football," Meadors said. "I've never doubted myself. I had Big Ten offers coming out of high school and chose to go to App. It's a big opportunity to prove myself and show these scouts and other people what I can do and play on a big level."