EL PASO, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — He’ll be kicking it in the Big Ten and Declan Duley can hardly wait.

Duley, the El Paso-Gridley senior who is ranked as one of the top high school punters in the nation, announced Wednesday he will attend the University of Illinois.

The 6-2 lefty is ranked as the state’s top punter and the No. 12 in the nation by Kohl’s Kicking Camp.

“A big factor was being able to represent my home state and, to not only make an impact on my community since El Paso is a U of I town, but on the younger generation themselves,” Duley said

He took his official visit to Illinois on Saturday and said he liked everything he saw.

“Walking on to the field and doing what I could do to envision myself being there, I fell in love with it,” said Duley. “I told myself when I walked out of there, this is where I can play and this is where I want to play.”

Duley says he was also considering Michigan State, Miami and Kansas.