5A All-State Team: Offense Edition
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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…
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Continue ReadingContinuing 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.
1st Team
QB Isaiah Thompson Isaiah Thompson 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Sacred Heart-Griffin | 2021 IL 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Kaleb Brown Kaleb Brown 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB St. Rita | 2022 State IL 22’ St Rita Twitter
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 Alex Sweetland Alex Sweetland 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Sacred Heart Griffin | 2021 IL 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Max Reese Max Reese 6'3" | 215 lbs | WR Fenwick | 2022 State IL 22’ Fenwick Twitter
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 Dane Pardridge Dane Pardridge 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Marmion | 2022 State IL 22’ Marmion Academy Twitter
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 Kadinn Morris Kadinn Morris 6'3" | 230 lbs | TE Sacred Heart Griffin | 2021 IL 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin Twitter
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 Drew London Drew London 6'4" | 225 lbs | TE Mt. Zion | 2021 IL 21’ Mt Zion Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Jimmy Liston Jimmy Liston 6'4" | 310 lbs | OL Fenwick | 2022 State IL 22’ Fenwick Twitter
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 Valen Erickson Valen Erickson 6'6" | 285 lbs | OL St. Rita | 2022 State IL 22’ St Rita Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Devin Hale Devin Hale 6'2" | 295 lbs | OL Sacred Heart-Griffin | 2021 IL 21’ Sacred Heart Griffin Twitter
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 Hunter Simmons Hunter Simmons 6'4" | 215 lbs | QB Marion | 2021 IL 21’ Marion Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson 6'3" | 215 lbs | RB Joliet Catholic | 2022 State IL 22’ Joliet Catholic Academy Twitter
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 Aveon Pittman Aveon Pittman 5'8" | 185 lbs | RB Kankakee | 2021 IL 21’ Kankakee Twitter
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 Isaiah Bragg Isaiah Bragg 5'10" | 180 lbs | WR St. Rita | 2021 IL 21’ St Rita Twitter
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 Eian Pugh Eian Pugh 6'3" | 170 lbs | WR Fenwick | 2022 State IL 22’ Fenwick Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Bodie Turner Bodie Turner 6'3" | 250 lbs | OL St. Rita | 2021 IL 21’ St Rita Twitter
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 Sam Buck Sam Buck 6'3" | 300 lbs | OL Highland | 2021 IL 21’ Highland Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Twitter
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 Aidan Voss Aidan Voss 5'11" | 185 lbs | QB Joliet Catholic | 2022 State IL 22’ Joliet Catholic Academy Twitter
QB Kaden Cobb Kaden Cobb 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Fenwick | 2022 State IL 22’ Fenwick Twitter
QB Ashton Summers 21’ Mt Zion Twitter
QB Darius Wilson Darius Wilson 6'3" | 180 lbs | ATH St. Laurence | 2021 IL 21’ St Laurence Twitter
QB Jack Friedewald 21’ Rochester Twitter
QB Caleb Treadwell 21’ Hillcrest Twitter
QB Benito Jass 21’ Boylan Catholic Twitter
QB Jovan Butts 22’ Morton Twitter
RB Mar’Keise Irving Mar’Keise Irving 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Hillcrest | 2021 State IL 21’ Hillcrest Twitter
RB Tajheem Lawson Tajheem Lawson 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Marian Catholic | 2021 IL 21’ Marian Catholic Twitter
RB Gabe Hillard Gabe Hillard 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Carbondale | 2022 State IL 22’ Carbondale
RB Trevor Burnett Trevor Burnett 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Glenbard South | 2022 State IL 22’ Glenbard South Twitter
RB Ja’aire Mack 21’ Joliet Catholic Academy Twitter
RB Jacob DuRocher Jacob DuRocher 6'0" | 200 lbs | RB Rochester | 2021 IL 21’ Rochester Twitter
RB DiAndre Harris DiAndre Harris 5'11" | 185 lbs | DB Montini | 2021 IL 21’ Montini Catholic
RB Isaac Novak 21’ Fenwick Twitter
RB Josh Landers 21’ Morris
RB Bryson Bartels 21’ Mt Zion Twitter
WR Stevern McCall Stevern McCall 5'10" | 185 lbs | WR Cahokia | 2021 IL 21’ Cahokia
OL Max Caltagerone 21’ Boylan Catholic Twitter
OL Dion Dansby 21’ Kankakee Twitter
OL Johnny Golden 21’ Glenbard South Twitter
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.