5A All-State Team: Offense Edition

Continuing the All-State offensive series we’re taking a look at 5A Football throughout the state of Illinois. I have gone through over 200 players to determine the first team, second team, and honorable mention. Without further ado, let’s dive into the 5A All-State Team – Offensive Edition. <hr /> 1st Team QB [player_tooltip player_id="65078" first="Isaiah" last="Thompson"] 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin <a href="https://twitter.com/Zay_Thompson23">Twitter</a> Mr. Thompson is from Sacred Heart Griffin, he's a lefty QB that can put zip on the ball. He makes level 3 throws, puts the ball in the receiver's basket, and escapes the collapsed pocket by scrambling with his quick acceleration. Mr. Thompson also runs the read-option showcasing his mobility, breaks arm tackles by keeping his feet driving, and bursts past the 2nd level of defenders. He can get the ball out quickly (RPOs), gets the ball off under pressure and is elusive making the first defender miss. QB Tommy Ulatowski 22’ St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyUlatowski">Twitter</a> Mr. Ulatowski is from St Rita, he makes level 1 2 & 3 throws and has a touch on the deep ball. He utilizes his pocket footwork to escape the pocket and throw on the run putting the ball in the receiver's basket. Mr. Ulatowski makes throws outside the numbers, gets the ball off under pressure, and can put zip on the ball. He extends plays by finding his man downfield and can scramble showcasing his mobility. RB [player_tooltip player_id="20868" first="Kaleb" last="Brown"] 22’ St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/ikaleb35">Twitter</a> Mr. Brown is from St Rita, he's an N/S runner that has the speed to burst past the 2nd level of defenders and has quick acceleration. He reads his blocks well, has a good change of direction which enables him to stop on a dime then accelerate back to full speed quickly, and breaks arm tackles by keeping his feet driving. Mr. Brown is quick off of the line of scrimmage, is a deep threat, and finds soft spots in the defense. He makes the first defender miss showcasing his elusiveness and has playmaking abilities. RB [player_tooltip player_id="20243" first="Alex" last="Sweetland"] 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin <a href="https://twitter.com/SweetlandAlex5">Twitter</a> Mr. Sweetland is from Sacred Heart Griffin, he's an N/S runner that bursts past the 2nd level of defenders and can pick up the blitz in pass pro. He can catch out of the backfield where he plants his foot to turn upfield, makes contested catches by high pointing the ball, and is a deep threat. Mr. Sweetland plays through contact by keeping his feet driving, breaks arm tackles, and has the vision to see cutback lanes. He blocks downfield playing through the whistle, is a deadly return man, and is a playmaker where he makes plays out of nothing. WR Henry Wilson 21’ St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/upnext_hwj13">Twitter</a> Mr. Wilson is from St Rita, he's quick off of the line of scrimmage and is a deep threat. He breaks arm tackles by keeping his feet driving, plays through contact, and fights for extra yards. Mr. Wilson blocks downfield, makes contested catches by high pointing the ball, and has good body control to stay up after being hit. WR [player_tooltip player_id="20890" first="Max" last="Reese"] 22’ Fenwick <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxReese10">Twitter</a> Mr. Reese is from Fenwick, he's a deep threat that has quick acceleration and is quick off of the line of scrimmage. He makes contested catches by high pointing the ball, blocks downfield, and is elusive making the first defender miss. Mr. Reese plants his foot to turn upfield after securing the catch, reads blocks, and runs jet sweeps. WR [player_tooltip player_id="65791" first="Dane" last="Pardridge"] 22’ Marmion Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/DanePardridge">Twitter</a> Mr. Pardridge is from Marmion Academy, he's elusive making the first defender miss and makes catches in traffic. He's quick off of the line of scrimmage, makes contested catches by high pointing the ball, and finds soft spots in defense. Mr. Pardridge creates separation from the defender with his break at the top of the route, gets upfield after securing the catch, and is a deep threat. TE [player_tooltip player_id="20271" first="Kadinn" last="Morris"] 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin <a href="https://twitter.com/KadinnM">Twitter</a> Mr. Morris is from Sacred Heart Griffin, he creates running lanes and blocks in open space. He's quick off of the line of scrimmage, makes contested catches, and finds the soft spot in the defense. Mr. Morris gets upfield after securing the catch, has quick acceleration, and plays through the whistle. He also blocks downfield, washes the d-line down, and gets to 2nd level blocks. TE [player_tooltip player_id="20279" first="Drew" last="London"] 21’ Mt Zion <a href="https://twitter.com/drewlondon6">Twitter</a> Mr. London is from Mt Zion, he's a deep threat that's quick off of the line of scrimmage and gets upfield after securing the catch. He breaks arm tackles by keeping his feet driving, makes the catch in traffic, and finds soft spots in the defense. Mr. London isn't afraid to lower his shoulder and has quick acceleration that comes to light in both offensive attacks. OL Andrew Polhemus 21’ Metamora <a href="https://twitter.com/PolhemusAndrew">Twitter</a> Mr. Polhemus is from Metamora, he gets to 2nd level blocks and creates running lanes when pulling. He washes the d-line down, blocks in open space, and is quick off the ball. Mr. Polhemus holds his own one-on-one in pass pro, gets after it, and plays through the whistle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="20901" first="Jimmy" last="Liston"] 22’ Fenwick <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmyliston64">Twitter</a> Mr. Liston is from Fenwick, he fires off the ball and keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking the defender. He washes the d-line down, gets to 2nd level blocks, and gets his hands-on quickly. Mr. Liston holds his own one-on-one in pass pro, plays through the whistle, and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="20900" first="Valen" last="Erickson"] 22’ St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/ValenErickson">Twitter</a> Mr. Erickson is from St Rita, he creates running lanes when pulling and keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders. He gets to 2nd level blocks, washes dd-line down, and holds his own one on one in pass pro by staying square forcing the outside rush. Mr. Erickson plays through the whistle and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. OL William Berry 21’ Joliet Catholic Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/willberry234">Twitter</a> Mr. Berry is from Joliet Catholic Academy, he creates running lane when pulling and washes the d-line down. He holds his own one-on-one in pass pro by staying square, plays through the whistle, and is quick off of the ball. Mr. Berry gets hands-on quickly, keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders, and gets after it. OL [player_tooltip player_id="65458" first="Devin" last="Hale"] 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin <a href="https://twitter.com/devinhale55">Twitter</a> Mr. Hale is from Sacred Heart Griffin, he keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders and washes the d-line down. He fires off the ball, creates running lanes when pulling, and washes the d-line down. Mr. Hale gets to 2nd level blocks, holds his own in pass pro, and picks up the blitz. He gets hands-on quickly, plays through the whistle, and gets after it. 2nd Team QB [player_tooltip player_id="20225" first="Hunter" last="Simmons"] 21’ Marion <a href="https://twitter.com/hunt_simm">Twitter</a> Mr. Simmons is from Marion, he has a touch on the deep ball and makes level 1 2 & 3 throws. He gets the ball of funder pressure, puts the ball in the receiver's basket, and can throw on the run. Mr. Simmons runs the read-option showcasing his mobility, uses his pocket footwork to evade pocket pressure to finds his man downfield, and can get the ball out quickly when running RPOs. QB Brylan Phillips 22’ MacArthur <a href="https://twitter.com/BrylanPhillips">Twitter</a> Mr. Phillips is from MacArthur, he puts the ball in the receiver's basket and has a touch on the deep ball. He can put zip on the ball, makes level 1 2 & 3 throws, and can get the ball out quickly when running RPOs. Mr. Phillips gets the ball off under pressure, can throw on the run, and scrambles to escapes pocket pressure with his quick acceleration. RB [player_tooltip player_id="20875" first="Jordan" last="Anderson"] 22’ Joliet Catholic Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/jda_anderson21">Twitter</a> Mr. Anderson is from Joliet Catholic Academy, he's an N/S runner that has quick acceleration and breaks arm tackles by keeping his feet driving. He bursts past the 2nd level of defenders, reads blocks well, and is elusive making the first defender miss. Mr. Anderson has the vision to see cutback lanes, has good body control, and makes contested catches. He plays through contact, has playmaking abilities, and gets after it. RB [player_tooltip player_id="65577" first="Aveon" last="Pittman"] 21’ Kankakee <a href="https://twitter.com/VeezyfrmDaKank">Twitter</a> Mr. Pittman is from Kankakee, he's an N/S runner and has quick acceleration to burst past the 2nd level of defenders. He reads blocks well, has good body control, and breaks arm tackles by keeping his feet driving. Mr. Pittman fights for extra yards by playing through contact, is elusive making the first defender miss, and has the vision to see cutback lanes. He gets upfield after securing the catch, is a deadly return man, and has playmaking abilities. WR [player_tooltip player_id="20263" first="Isaiah" last="Bragg"] 21’ St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahbragg21">Twitter</a> Mr. Bragg is from St Rita, he's quick off the line of scrimmage and is a deep threat. He makes contested catches, finds soft spots in the defense, and uses a toe tap for sideline grabs. Mr. Bragg has good route running where he stacks the defender and breaks the defender off at the top of the route, is a deadly return man, and gets upfield after securing the catch. WR [player_tooltip player_id="20887" first="Eian" last="Pugh"] 22’ Fenwick <a href="https://twitter.com/EianPugh7">Twitter</a> Mr. Pugh is from Fenwick, he's quick off the line of scrimmage and gets upfield after securing the catch. He's a deep threat that has quick acceleration, makes contested catches by high pointing the ball, and blocks downfield. Not only this, but Mr. Pugh is also a good return man. WR Aidan Jones 21’ Mascoutah <a href="https://twitter.com/JonesOfficial03">Twitter</a> Mr. Jones is from Mascoutah, he's a deadly return man and is quick off the line of scrimmage. He makes contested by high pointing the ball, is a deep threat, and gets upfield after securing the catch. Mr. Jones uses a toe tap to secure the sideline catch and has deadly speed to top off his quick acceleration. TE Matthew Baker 21’ Rochester <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewbbaker">Twitter</a> Mr. Baker is from Rochester, he gets to 2nd level blocks and plays through the whistle. He gets upfield after securing the catch, reads blocks well, and is elusive making the first defender miss topped with his quick acceleration. TE Ryne Begole 21’ Metamora <a href="https://twitter.com/BegoleRyne">Twitter</a> Mr. Begole is from Metamora, he keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders and gets to 2nd level blocks. He gets upfield after securing the catch with his quick acceleration, creates running lanes, and blocks in open space. OL Tezz Fowler 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin Mr. Fowler is from Sacred Heart Griffin, he plays through the whistle and keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders. He holds his own one-on-one in pass pro, and picks up the blitz well. Mr. Fowler washes the d-line down, gets to 2nd level blocks, and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="20293" first="Bodie" last="Turner"] 21’ St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnerBodie">Twitter</a> Mr. Turner is from St Rita, he creates running lanes when pulling and keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders. He fires off the ball, washes the d-line down, and holds his own one-on-one in pass pro. Mr. Turner gets to 2nd level blocks, gets hands-on quickly, and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="20308" first="Sam" last="Buck"] 21’ Highland <a href="https://twitter.com/bigsambuck">Twitter</a> Mr. Buck is from Highland, he creates running lanes when pulling and keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders. He plays through the whistle, gets to 2nd level blocks, and washes the d-line down. Mr. Buck gets hands-on quickly, and gets after it on every down. OL Ryan Heffelfinger 21’ Sterling <a href="https://twitter.com/RYANHEFF56">Twitter</a> Mr. Heffelfinger is from Sterling, he keeps his feet driving resulting in pancaking defenders and creates running lanes when pulling. He gets to 2nd level blocks, washes the d-line down, and plays through the whistle. Mr. Heffelfinger fires off the ball, is aggressive at the point of attack, and gets after it. OL Ryne Buttz 22’ Mt Zion <a href="https://twitter.com/ButtzRyne">Twitter</a> Mr. Buttz is from Mt Zion, he pancakes defenders by keeping his feet driving and playing through the whistle. He creates running lanes when pulling, works up to 2nd level blocks, and blocks in open space. Mr. Buttz holds his own one-on-one in pass pro and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. Honorable Mention QB [player_tooltip player_id="20867" first="Aidan" last="Voss"] 22’ Joliet Catholic Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/VossAidan">Twitter</a> QB [player_tooltip player_id="20859" first="Kaden" last="Cobb"] 22’ Fenwick <a href="https://twitter.com/cobb_kaden">Twitter</a> QB Ashton Summers 21’ Mt Zion <a href="https://twitter.com/summersashton1">Twitter</a> QB [player_tooltip player_id="20362" first="Darius" last="Wilson"] 21’ St Laurence <a href="https://twitter.com/sumo004">Twitter</a> QB Jack Friedewald 21’ Rochester <a href="https://twitter.com/FriedewaldJack">Twitter</a> QB Caleb Treadwell 21’ Hillcrest <a href="https://twitter.com/Caleb7Treadwell">Twitter</a> QB Benito Jass 21’ Boylan Catholic <a href="https://twitter.com/BennyJass3">Twitter</a> QB Jovan Butts 22’ Morton <a href="https://twitter.com/qb_butts">Twitter</a> RB [player_tooltip player_id="20202" first="Mar’Keise" last="Irving"] 21’ Hillcrest <a href="https://twitter.com/bucky_buckets">Twitter</a> RB [player_tooltip player_id="20239" first="Tajheem" last="Lawson"] 21’ Marian Catholic <a href="https://twitter.com/TajDaGreat4">Twitter</a> RB [player_tooltip player_id="65719" first="Gabe" last="Hilliard"] 22’ Carbondale RB [player_tooltip player_id="20872" first="Trevor" last="Burnett"] 22’ Glenbard South <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorBurnett8">Twitter</a> RB Ja’aire Mack 21’ Joliet Catholic Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/JM4CK_">Twitter</a> RB [player_tooltip player_id="65115" first="Jacob" last="DuRocher"] 21’ Rochester <a href="https://twitter.com/DurocherJacob">Twitter</a> RB [player_tooltip player_id="20344" first="DiAndre" last="Harris"] 21’ Montini Catholic RB Isaac Novak 21’ Fenwick <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacNovak4">Twitter</a> RB Josh Landers 21’ Morris RB Bryson Bartels 21’ Mt Zion <a href="https://twitter.com/BartelsBryson">Twitter</a> WR [player_tooltip player_id="20265" first="Stevern" last="McCall"] 21’ Cahokia OL Max Caltagerone 21’ Boylan Catholic <a href="https://twitter.com/max_caltagerone">Twitter</a> OL Dion Dansby 21’ Kankakee <a href="https://twitter.com/DionDansbyK3">Twitter</a> OL Johnny Golden 21’ Glenbard South <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnnyGoldenJr">Twitter</a> <hr /> There is an abundance of talented athletes in 5A Football throughout the state of Illinois. That being said, this is your 5A Football All-State Team Offensive Edition. I wish all of the seniors the best on their journey after they graduate high school. There’s still work left to do for the juniors and sophomores, and I’m excited to watch you all compete. Be sure to follow @jamaskane regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football, @PrepRedzoneIL, and @PrepRedzone.