Who are IL’s Top Dual-Sport Football Players?
Jimmy Liston Jimmy Liston 6'4" | 310 lbs | OL Fenwick | 2022 State IL , 6’3, 290, Fenwick, OL, JR Sport: Wrestling Liston is a big kid with very quick feet. It’s no surprise he’s a talented wrestler as…
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Jimmy Liston
Jimmy
Liston
6'4" | 310 lbs | OL
Fenwick | 2022
State
IL
, 6’3, 290, Fenwick, OL, JR
Sport: Wrestling
Liston is a big kid with very quick feet. It’s no surprise he’s a talented wrestler as well. He qualified for the state tournament as a sophomore and finished 8th overall down in Champaign. Liston has the ability to play with a low pad level, and it most certainly shows on the wrestling mat.
Mar’Keise Irving
Mar’Keise
Irving
5'9" | 180 lbs | RB
Hillcrest | 2021
State
IL
, 5’9, 180, Hillcrest, RB, SR
Sport: Basketball
Irving is a dynamic point guard, with phenomenal athletic ability. Just ask T.F. North, as Irving banked in a game-winning three at the buzzer to defeat the Meteors. Irving led the charge in 2019 as Hillcrest finished with a 23-9 record. From what I’ve heard, Irving would like to play both football and basketball in college. He could be a two-sport star at Minnesota.
Anthony Sayles
Anthony
Sayles
6'3" | 205 lbs | QB
Niles Notre Dame | 2021
IL
, 6’3, 205, Notre Dame, QB, SR
Sport: Basketball
Anthony Sayles Anthony Sayles 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Niles Notre Dame | 2021 IL is a legit dual-threat quarterback on the gridiron, and according to our Scott Burgess, the top point guard in Illinois in the 2021 class for basketball. Sayles already holds Division one offers from schools like Western Illinois, Southern Illinois & Loyola in hoops. I think he has the potential to possibly pick up FCS offers in football and could play both sports in college.
Corey Walker
Corey
Walker
6'1" | LB
Hillside | 2021
NJ
, 6’6, 240, Normal West, TE, SR
Sport: Basketball
On the hardwood, Walker excels as a power forward for both Normal West & the Illinois Irish AAU team. Walker uses both his sheer strength and quickness on the football field and in the gym. He recently committed to Illinois State for football, and I think he’s a kid with a ton of upside at the tight end position.
Reese Edwards
Reese
Edwards
6'3" | 215 lbs | LB
Sacred Heart Griffin | 2021
IL
, 6’3, 215, Sacred Heart-Griffin, LB, SR
Sport: Wrestling
Edwards is another kid who stars on the mat and was a state qualifier this past winter. He made it all the way to the quarterfinals and finished his junior season with an impressive 40-6 record. This is a tough kid on film that plays with an edge. The Illinois State football program got a good one with him.
Kaleb Brown
Kaleb
Brown
5'11" | 190 lbs | RB
St. Rita | 2022
State
IL
, 5’11, 190, St. Rita, RB, JR
Sport: Track
In case you didn’t know, Caleb Brown can fly. Not only is he a Division one recruit in football, but he could also be one in track as well. As a freshman, he finished fourth in the Class 2A 100 meter dash and 8th in the 200-meter dash. He didn’t get to run this season but was widely expected to give Marengo defending champion Finnigan Schirmer a run for his money in the 100 meters.
Aidan Laughery
Aidan
Laughery
5'11" | 185 lbs | RB
Gibson City Melvin Sibley | 2022
State
IL
, 5’11, 185, Gibson City-Melvin Sibley, RB, JR
Sport: Track
People are still finding out about Aidan Laughery Aidan Laughery 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Gibson City Melvin Sibley | 2022 State IL in football, but they also need to see him on the track. As a freshman, he finished 7th in the 100-meter dash downstate in 1A and has been clocked in the 10.7 range. Laughery currently has one offer from Washington State for football, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he picked some for track as well.
Owen Murphy, 6’1, 200, Riverside Brookfield, QB/WR, JR
Sport: Baseball
Let’s get this straight, Murphy is a baseball player who plays football. He is a stud one the diamond, and it’s no coincidence he committed to Notre Dame early on. Murphy is a right-handed pitcher, whose fastball can reach up to the low 90’s. He’s a multipurpose athlete who played both quarterback and wide receiver on the gridiron last fall and came in the clutch quite a bit for the bulldogs.
Isaiah Thompson, 6’1, 185, Sacred-Heart Griffin, QB, SR
Sport: Baseball
Thompson is a star quarterback, outfielder, and even a strong hooper for the Griffins as well. Currently, he’s committed to Indiana State for baseball, and I wouldn’t be shocked if football coach Curt Mallory tried to get him on board as well. This kid is dynamic with the football in his hands and could be one of the more underrated quarterbacks in all of Illinois.