MT. ZION, Ill. (WCIA) — Playing alongside top talents like JC Anderson and Brayden Trimble helped Jacob Harvey fly under the radar as a junior.

“We got Brayden, and everybody knew about Brayden and concentrated on him, and then JC is kind of the same thing. And then that leaves Harvey, a lot of times in a single match-up,” head coach Patrick Etherton said.

The receiver and defensive back isn’t taking anyone by surprise as a senior after leading the Braves with 1,100 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

“He’s a great leader and he runs great routes,” senior quarterback Keller Stocks said. “He always helps find an open hole when I’m scrambling, and he always makes a big catch if I ever am a little bit off.”

A four-year varsity starter, Harvey brings a wealth of experience to the Braves on both sides of the ball.

“It’s definitely an advantage, you know, coming into like junior, senior, I’ve already played for three years, where I see other guys as maybe their first year, so I have obviously more experience and they do,” Harvey said.

“He’s in such good shape, and he’s really I mean, he’s a 33 or 34 ACT kid so, he could memorize all that and be good, and then he’s just a great kid and gets it,” Etherton.

The all-state receiver has always been a threat with his speed, progressing in the technical side of the game thanks to additional reps on the practice field.

“Honestly just grinding in the offseason out here with Keller and some of the other receivers, I try to train as much as possible and just perfect my craft,” Harvey said.

Harvey’s filling a bigger role for the Mt. Zion offense following Trimble’s departure, the Mt. Zion senior learning all he could from the Illinois freshman.

“Whenever I was coming in, I made sure to ask a lot of questions, learn a lot of things from him because he obviously had a lot of success,” Harvey said.

The two-way standout has filled in well for Trimble so far with 634 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through four games heading into our Friday Football Fever Spotlight Game of the Week at Mahomet-Seymour Friday at 7:00 p.m.