Illinois All Off-Season Squad: 2nd Team Defense

Overview This off-season I’ve been fortunate enough to attend numerous workouts, practices, camps & showcases to evaluate some of the most talented prospects in all of Illinois. During this time I’ve seen some of the biggest recruits in the state, who were very much on my radar beforehand. However, I’ve also seen a ton of hidden gem type prospects who I had no idea about and discovered because of these events. I went deep into my notes and gave you my top performers of this off-season. Here’s our complete 2nd Team Defensive Squad. <hr /> DL [player_tooltip player_id="20904" first="Paolo" last="Gennarelli"], St. Charles North, 6’3, 285, JR I actually have Paolo listed on our site as an offensive lineman, but I’ve been genuinely impressed this off-season by his ability as an interior defensive lineman. He’s got good size, a quick first step, and a punch with some force behind it. He’s comfortable as a hand fighter and can beat you not only with his strength but also his speed. It will be very interesting to see what he plays in college because the talent is there at both positions. [player_tooltip player_id="20908" first="Jireh" last="Mays"], East St. Louis, 6’1, 320, JR Jireh to me is one of the state’s most talented defensive line prospects. He shoots off the ball like a missile with a low pad level and consistently beats interior offensive linemen to the point of attack. He can get after the passer too and will use a mixture of solid bend and athleticism to defeat his opponents. Based on everything I saw from him this camp season, I think he’s an FBS kid and should pick up some offers soon. [player_tooltip player_id="65768" first="Xavier" last="Slayton"], Crete Monee, 6’3, 230, JR A tremendous get off paired with loose hips, this is a defensive end who dominated 1 on 1’s in the camp circuit. Slayton had a big off-season and it showed. He started as a sophomore and did some good things on tape. However, I think this is the year he takes that big jump and will dominate opposing teams. He has a ton of tools in his toolbox and I think college coaches will see that this winter. [player_tooltip player_id="20912" first="Connor" last="Murphy"], Glenbard South, 6’3, 230, JR Murphy has shown a significant amount of growth as a defensive line prospect. The kid has put on at least fifteen pounds of good weight and has added a ton of size to his frame. He’s shown a relentless motor and a quick hand swipe to smack away an opposing tackle’s punch. He’s had plenty of production over the last two seasons, but I think this will be bar none his best season as a raider and he’ll soon be a well-known name in Illinois. <img class="alignnone wp-image-57421" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/Connor-Murphy-300x250.jpg" alt="" width="366" height="305" /> LB Tyler Jansey, Batavia, 6’1, 210, SO If you don’t know this name yet, you soon will. This kid is an absolute freak and even saw varsity time as a freshman last fall. He’s got great burst, comes to a balance when making plays in space, and good straight-line speed. He takes good angles to the ball and can easily guard backs out of the backfield. He showed that he can open up his hips in zone and easily drop into coverage. This kid has the ability you look for in a Power-Five linebacker and will have a long offer sheet in the near future. [player_tooltip player_id="65502" first="Zach" last="McClure"], St. Charles North, 6’2, 215, SR I think this young man made himself some money this off-season and showed he’s a name to watch in the 2021 class. It’s kids like Zach why I really enjoy going to showcases. I had no idea about him going into the Boom showcase, then I watched him run a shuttle and wondered, "Who is that?" and immediately pulled up his hudl. The kid showed good lateral movement skills and precise breaks. His frame is his best asset, as he’s put together and looks like he could easily be molded into a sam linebacker at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="65523" first="Will" last="Bowlby"], Carbondale, 6’4, 190, Carbondale, SR Will has the vertical stature you ideally want in a linebacker prospect and he showed he’s got the speed too, clocking a 4.74 40 yard dash at our camp. He’s got a lengthy frame he can easily put thirty-five pounds on and has the ability to be a major steal for someone. This kid can jam wideouts in the slot if need be and can easily play man coverage as well. He’s a natural as a blitzer and was relentless on-film. <img class="alignnone wp-image-57672" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/Will-Bowlby-271x300.jpg" alt="" width="319" height="353" /> DB Giovanni Volopentesta, Highland Park, 5’11, 200, SR Volopentesta could very easily be listed as an athlete, but I chose to list him as a defensive back. He’s got a smooth backpedal, tight breaks that don’t go outside the framework of his body, and soft hands. He showed quick feet in press coverage and the ability to role up in the slot as well. He’s Mr. do it all for Highland Park, and he’s fun to watch. Keep an eye on his senior film, it should be a good one. [player_tooltip player_id="65537" first="Joeron" last="Hill"] Jr., Kankakee, 6’3, 165, SR This kid has to be one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2021 class. He’s got the height you look for, standing at 6’3 and has long arms he uses to maul wideouts at the line in press. He’s got solid recovery speed and knows how to high point the football when it’s in the air. He has offers right now from Bryant & FAU and after seeing his ability in person I expect that to change. It’s hard to find the sheer size and athleticism in a defensive back that he possesses. [player_tooltip player_id="65879" first="Noah" last="Taylor"], Lemont, 6’, 185, SO The sky is the limit for this youngster, and I have very high expectations for him after seeing him at camps this summer. He showed up at our camp and ran a 4.6 40 yard dash as a sophomore. I’d be shocked if he’s not running in the high 4.4 range by the time he’s a senior. Lemont is very excited about Noah’s future and for good reason, he shows great instincts and crisp breaks for a young DB. [player_tooltip player_id="65547" first="Jordan" last="Nubin"], St. Charles North, 5’10, 170, SR I first saw Nubin at the Boom Showcase in early August, then again at Legacy Sports Performance in St. Charles. The thing that stood out to me the most was this kid’s acceleration. He can get in and out of his breaks at the drop of a hat. On the field, he’s a competitor and wants to win at all costs. He’s a very gifted athlete and is patient at the line when jamming receivers. He can run stride for stride with just about anyone and is fantastic at leaning and locating the ball in the air. <img class="alignnone wp-image-44037" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/4B1C85FB-9302-41E7-8B56-DA7B2122DA73-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="446" height="335" />