Record-setting QHS quarterback values relationship built with QU coach, commits to play for Hawks

QUINCY — Each Quincy University football practice Bradyn Little attended last spring allowed the Quincy High School quarterback to foster a stronger relationship with first-year Hawks coach Jason Killday.

“I know who he is,” Little said.

With that comes a level of comfortability that can’t be matched.

“I trust him,” Little said. “That’s big for me. I know whatever he says he’s going to do. That’s important for me.”

It made the most prolific passing quarterback in QHS history decide to stay home to play in college. Little verbally committed to the Hawks on Friday morning while watching QU practice at QU Stadium.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Little becomes the second player in QHS’s uber-talented senior class to secure a college commitment — cornerback Rico Clay committed to Illinois State University in June — and instantly becomes the cornerstone of QU’s Class of 2025.

“No other coach built the relationship with me that Coach Killday has,” Little said. “It helps that we can see each other all the time and talk whenever we need to.”

That’s what made the spring such an important part of the timeline.

Little attended a handful of QU’s 15 practices, often standing side-by-side with Killday during offensive drills and discussing pass protection, progressions and offensive philosophy. Those conversations carried over to text messages and off-the-field chats.

“He’s invested in me,” Little said. “He wants me to learn all this stuff. For me, that’s a sign. He cares that much. No one cares that much for no reason. There’s a reason for why he’s doing everything, and I see that’s because he cares. I really appreciate that.”

Killday also knows he’s getting a skilled passer who has rewritten the QHS record book.

Little led the Blue Devils to an 11-1 record last season and the first state quarterfinal appearance in program history. QHS went 9-0 in the regular season — the first undefeated regular season since 1935 — as Little was named the Western Big 6 Conference MVP, the View from the West Podcast Player of the Year and an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association first-team all-stater.

He completed 230 of 321 passes for 3,422 yards with 45 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He established new single-season records for completions, yards and touchdowns, while obliterating all of the career records.

Little heads into the 2024 season having thrown for 6,533 yards in his career with 436 completions and 72 touchdowns. The right-hander needs 502 yards passing, 15 completions and 10 touchdowns to move in the top 20 in each of the categories in Illinois High School Association history, and if he comes close to matching the numbers he posted as a junior, Little could end up in the top five all-time.

That sort of success had many assuming Little would commit to an FCS program or want to venture away from Quincy, but staying home had its appeal.

“There’s things here that I liked,” Little said. “For example, there’s my brother (Bryson, who will be a freshman at QHS). I get to see him and watch him play. That’s important. My grandparents love to come to games. And this will make things easy from the standpoint nothing is going to be foreign to me after being around (the QU) program.”

Little had talked with coaches from programs such as Western Illinois University and Indiana State and had received offers from other Great Lakes Valley Conference schools, but his decision to stay home came down to relationships.

“I talked to a bunch of schools, but no one showed me more love than what Coach Killday did,” Little said. “You want to go somewhere they care about you and where you feel you fit in. If they care about you, they’re going to do everything right for you. That’s what he’s been doing and I know he’s going to do.”