Prep Redzone Illinois: 5A All State Offensive Edition
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The season is over and we’re back at it with the All-State Awards for 8A-1A to highlight these student-athletes accomplishments this season. It was a grueling 9 Week Regular Season and one heck of a road to IHSA State for…
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Continue ReadingThe season is over and we’re back at it with the All-State Awards for 8A-1A to highlight these student-athletes accomplishments this season. It was a grueling 9 Week Regular Season and one heck of a road to IHSA State for those that made the playoffs. After reviewing the film of the Top 40 teams in the class of 5A, we’re diving into the 5A All-State Offensive Edition. Without further ado, let’s dive into it.
1st Team
QB Chase Hanson 6’1 190 22′ Mascoutah Twitter
Mr. Hanson runs the option as his legs are a legit threat to the defense and maintains a low center of gravity as he bounces off hits while keeping his feet driving to break through weak arm tackles. Once he clears the line of scrimmage he weaves in and out of defenders as well as fighting for extra yards. When working in platform, he can make level 3 throws and put a touch on a deep ball. This young man can get the ball off under pressure and does a good job of extending plays. When doing so he can avoid pressure as he navigates the pocket before finding his man downfield to keep the chains moving. He can also get the ball out quickly when running RPOs.
QB Kaden Cobb Kaden Cobb 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Fenwick | 2022 State IL 6’3 190 22′ Fenwick Twitter
Mr. Cobb extends plays by escaping the pocket where he then can find his man downfield to keep the chains moving. When working in platform, he can add touch on the deep ball and gets the ball off under pressure. When working out of platform, he keeps his eyes downfield as he rolls out and finds his man downfield. This is where we get a good look at his throw on the run as his upper/lower half work in unison. He can add easy velocity across all three levels (level 1, level 2 & level 3) as well as adding a touch on the ball as well. His legs are a legit threat to the defense as his legs are a legit threat to the defense as he weaves in and out of defenders once he clears the line of scrimmage.
RB Trevor Burnett Trevor Burnett 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Glenbard South | 2022 State IL 5’10 190 22′ Glenbard South Twitter
Mr. Burnett has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles as he burst through the line of scrimmage where he gets vertical quickly upon securing the handoff. This young man has that next level gear which he uses to blow by the 2nd level of defenders and outrun pursuit angles as he changes gears quickly. He can hit cutback lanes hard, keeps his feet driving to break weak arm tackles, and is used in the return game where he weaves in and out of defenders setting his team up in good starting field position. In the air attack, he can either catch out of the backfield where he gets vertical quickly or can line up in the slot where he can win over the top with his speed.
RB Gabe Hilliard 5’9 180 22′ Carbondale Twitter
Mr. Hilliard has that next level gear to blow by the 2nd level of defenders and can outrun pursuit angles after he burst through the line of scrimmage. He has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles, once he’s in open space he makes defenders miss as he weaves in and out of them. Upon securing the handoff, he gets vertical quickly and keeps his feet driving fighting for extra yards. In the air attack, he can catch out of the backfield where he gets vertical quickly and gives extra effort to dive into the endzone for touchdowns.
WR Allen Middleton Allen Middleton 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Mascoutah | 2023 State IL 5’11 180 23′ Mascoutah Twitter
Mr. Middleton lines up on the outside as well as the slot, both of which he’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to stack the defender before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. He can attack the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches as well as make the catch in traffic. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical quickly and can make defenders miss in open space showcasing his elusiveness. He can win routes over the top with his speed, uses toe tap for sideline grabs, and can take a receiver screen the distance for touchdowns. Once in open space, he weaves in and out of defenders as he changes his gears quickly with his next level gear. This coincides with him outrunning pursuit angles and blowing by the 2nd level of defenders. On deep shots downfield he tracks the ball well to make over the shoulder catches downfield.
WR Max Reese Max Reese 6'3" | 215 lbs | WR Fenwick | 2022 State IL 6’3 220 22′ Fenwick Twitter
Mr. Reese can work out of the slot as well as outside reciever, at times he’s also motioned into the running back position where he takes the handoff and turns into a downhill runner. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to gain a step on the defender before stacking and breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. This young man attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches and can make the catch in traffic. He can finds the soft spot in zone coverage where he sits to become an outlet for his quarterback and can track the ball well on deep shots downfield over his shoulder. In the run game, he stalk blocks downfield as well.
WR Cameron Pickett Cameron Pickett 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Brooks | 2022 State IL 6’0 180 22′ Brooks Twitter
Mr. Pickett can in over the top with his speed, he’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to his advantage to stack the defender before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation. He attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch and does a good job using toe taps for sideline grabs. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical quickly showcasing his next level gear as he blows by the 2nd level of defenders and outruns pursuit angles. He’s also used as a wildcat quarterback where he uses his lateral quickness to turn the corner. In the return game, he changes gears quickly as he weaves in and out of defenders for touchdowns.
WR Venson Newsom 6’3 180 22′ Marion Twitter
Mr. Newsom is an outside receiver that’s quick off the line of scrimmage and can win over top with his speed. This happens by him gaining a step on the defender to stack and break him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. He attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches and isn’t afraid to go up for 50/50 balls as he’s a deep threat downfield. Speaking of which, on deep shots downfield this young man does a good job of tracking the ball well to make over the shoulder catches. Upon securing the catch on short/intermediate routes, he gets vertical quickly and breaks weak arm tackles by keeping his feet driving. In the return game, he gets vertical quickly where he showcases his ability to change gears quickly and hit that next level gear that he has resulting in him returning kicks for touchdowns.
OL Jimmy Liston Jimmy Liston 6'4" | 310 lbs | OL Fenwick | 2022 State IL 6’4 305 22′ Fenwick Twitter
Mr. Liston fires off the ball and latches on quickly getting hands inside with a quick punch of the hands at the point of attack upon snapping the ball. He does a good job finishing plays as he keeps his feet driving through the whistle driving the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield, sometimes even driving the defender 10+ yards downfield which also showcases his power. This young man can wash the defensive lineman down and work up to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to get out of his stance quickly and gets his hands into an attacking position to latch onto the defensive lineman quickly to neutralize the pass rush at the line of scrimmage.
OL Nikolas Belski Nikolas Belski 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL LaSalle Peru Township | 2023 State IL 6’3 250 23′ LaSalle-Peru Twitter
Mr. Belski does a good job of picking up the outside linebacker and defensive back playing the alley when he’s pulling showcasing his agility, both of which he’s able to latch on creating a running lane for the ball carrier. He fires off the ball and is aggressive at the point of attack with a quick punch at the line of scrimmage to get inside hand placement. This young man showcases his power by latching on quickly and keeping his feet driving through the whistle as he drives the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield. He can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow and can wash the defensive lineman down. In his pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to latch on quickly to neutralize the pass rush at the line of scrimmage.
OL Nick Perry Nick Perry 6'2" | 290 lbs | OL Morris | 2023 State IL 6’2 295 23′ Morris Twitter
Mr. Perry can wash the defensive lineman down and can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off the linebacker flow on the play. He latches on quickly as he gets out of his stance and is aggressive at the point of attack as he punches his hands getting inside hand placement. When pulling, he’s able to get out of his stance quickly to make the kickout block on the defensive end/walked up outside linebacker giving the ball carrier a running lane to hit. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defensive lineman to get within arms length before latching on and can peel back to pick up the backside blitz keeping the pocket clean for his quarterback.
OL Justin Hemmersbach 6’2 260 23′ Morris Twitter
Mr. Hemmersbach can block in open space as he gets out of his stance quickly and picks up the defensive back creating a running lane for the ball carrier to run off of. He washes the defensive lineman down and can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play. This young man fires off the ball getting hands on quickly and finishes through plays. He does so by latching on quickly getting inside hand placement as he drives the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield by keeping his feet driving through the whistle. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to punch his hands quickly getting hands inside which results in him neutralizing the pass rush at the line of scrimmage.
OL Gavin Loiselle Gavin Loiselle 6'3" | 235 lbs | OL Woodstock | 2022 State IL 6’3 236 22′ Woodstock Twitter
Mr. Loiselle washes the defensive lineman down and can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play. He latches on quickly as he gets out of his stance and finishes plays by keeping his feet driving through the whistle as he drives the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to latch on quickly to the rushing defenders and can throw the defender into the ground once he wins leverage by getting his hands inside.
2nd Team
QB Elijah Owens Elijah Owens 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Jacksonville | 2023 State IL 6’2 200 23′ Jacksonville Twitter
Mr. Owens can get the ball out quickly when running RPOs and can pull the ball down to scramble if nobody is open downfield to keep the chains moving. Once in open space, he can make the first defender miss showcasing his elusiveness as his legs are a threat to the defense which he uses to extend plays by keeping the chains moving. When working in platform, he can get the ball off under pressure and add easy velocity across all three levels (level 1, level 2, & level 3) throws. When working out of platform, he escapes pocket pressure and can make the throw on the run with his upper/lower half working in unison. This young man does a good job extending plays and finding his man downfield to keep the chains moving.
QB Zach Romak 22′ Morris Twitter
Mr. Romak’s legs are a legit threat to the opposing defense which is seen on QB design runs as well as when he pulls the ball down to scramble if nothing is open downfield. When scrambling, he keeps his feet driven to break weak arm tackles and has that next level geat to blow by the 2nd level of defenders as well as outrun pursuit angles. When working in platform, he can get the ball off under pressure and add easy velocity across all three levels (level 1, level 2 & level 3) throws. When working out of platform, he rolls out of the pocket and finds his man downfield by throwing on the run with his fluid flip of the hips.
RB Seth Glatz 5’11 185 22′ Morton Twitter
Mr. Glatz has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles as he burst through the line of scrimmage. Upon securing the handoff, he gets vertical quickly and uses his next level gear to outrun pursuit angles as well as blow by the 2nd level of defenders. Once in open space, he can defenders miss showcasing his elusiveness with his one cut and go mentality. He can bounce plays outside where he uses his lateral quickness to turn the corner and maintains a low center of gravity to break weak arm tackles as he keeps his feet driving.
RB Corey Phillips Corey Phillips 5'8" | 165 lbs | RB Kaneland | 2022 State IL 5’8 165 22′ Kaneland Twitter
Mr. Phillips maintains a low center of gravity as he breaks weak arm tackles by keeping his feet driving and has the lateral quickness to turn the corner. He has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles as he bursts through the line of scrimmage. Once he clears the first level, he weaves in and out of defenders as well as showcasing a good chance of direction where he can stop on a dime before changing gears quickly back to full speed in an instant. In the air attack, this young man can catch out of the backfield where and gets vertical quickly upon securing the catch. In the return game, he can set his team up in good starting field position.
WR Myles Johnston 6’1 185 22′ Morris Twitter
Mr. Johnston is used in the return game where he gets vertical quickly returning kicks for touchdowns. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to stack the defender before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play and can win routes over the top when doing so. This young man attacks the ball at the highest point coming away with contested catches as well as getting in and out of breaks quickly. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical quickly and uses his toe tap to come away with sideline grabs.
WR Sam Gagne Sam Gagne 5'11" | 155 lbs | WR Kaneland | 2022 State IL 5’11 155 22′ Kaneland Twitter
Mr. Gagne is an outside reciever that lays out for catches and uses a toe tap for sideline grabs as well as back endzone touchdowns. This young man attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches as he goes up for 50/50 balls and stretches the field vertically as he’s quick off the line of scrimmage. This goes hand in hand with his ability to get in and out of breaks quickly which creates separation from the defender on the play. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical and can make the first defender miss in open space showcasing his elusiveness.
WR Dane Pardridge Dane Pardridge 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Marmion | 2022 State IL 6’0 175 22′ Marmion Academy Twitter
Mr. Pardridge is an outside receiver that can make the catch in traffic as well as attack the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage which he uses to stack the defender before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. This young man can find the soft spot in the defense where he’ll sit to be an outlet for his quarterback and gets vertical upon securing the catch. He also holds onto the catch upon getting a hard hit in traffic. In the return game, he weaves in and out of defenders setting his team up in good starting field position.
WR Quentrell Harris Quentrell Harris 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Nazareth | 2022 State IL 6’1 185 22′ Nazareth Academy Twitter
Mr. Harris can make the catch in traffic and gets vertical quickly upon securing the catch. He lines up outside and in the slot, both of which he’s quick off the line of scrimmage. When he’s being pressed he showcased fast feet which he uses to gain a step on the defender before stacking and breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation as well as winning over the top. This young man changes gears quickly as he can take a receiver screen the distance into the endzone. In the return game, he weaves in and out of defenders as he further showcases his ability to change gears quickly resulting in touchdowns.
OL Steven Young Steven Young 6'2" | 305 lbs | OL Kankakee | 2023 State IL 6’2 305 23′ Kankakee Twitter
Mr. Young washes the defensive lineman down and gets to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play. When pulling, he does a good job of blocking in opens space picking up the defensive back playing the alley as well as sealing the outside linebacker. This young man is aggressive at the point of attack as he fires off the ball latching on quickly. He showcases his power and finishing ability by getting inside hand placement quickly as he drives the defensive lineman back 5+ yards on the play by keeping his feet driving through the whistle.
OL Ben Wallace 6’5 300 23′ Metamora Twitter
Mr. Wallace fires off the ball and latches on quickly getting inside hand placement when doing so. He can wash the defensive lineman down as well as get to 2nd level blocks when pulling cutting off the linebacker flow on the play. This young man finishes plays by latching on quickly and driving the defensive lineman back 5+ yards downfield as he keeps his feet driving through the whistle. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defensive lineman to get within arms length before latching on.
OL Charlie Argueta-Redman 6’3 295 22′ St. Patrick Twitter
Mr. Argueta-Redman uses his lateral movement in pass protection to patiently await the rushing defensive lineman to get within arms length before latching on quickly. In run support, he washes the defensive lineman down and can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play. He latches on quickly and finishes plays by driving the defensive lineman back 5+ yards as he keeps his feet driving through the whistle.
OL Aidan Mack 6’4 265 22′ Providence Catholic Twitter
Mr. Mack fires off the ball latching on quickly and can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play. When pulling, he gets out of his stance quickly as he blocks in open space. Here, he can either pick up the defensive back playing the alley or seal the outside linebacker. Both of which create a running lane for the ball carrier. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defensive lineman to get within arms lengths before latching on and getting hands inside.
OL Tyler Uken Tyler Uken 6'8" | 260 lbs | OL Mahomet Seymour | 2022 State IL 6’9 280 22′ Mahomet Seymour Twitter
Mr. Uken can wash the defensive lineman down as he fires off the ball getting hands on quickly. He showcases his power by latching on quickly getting inside hand placement and driving the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield as he keeps his feet driving. When he finishes plays, he gets hands inside after latching on and plays through the whistle. This young man can wash the defensive lineman down as well as get to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow on the play.
Honorable Mention
QB Wyatt Bohm 6’4 190 23′ Mahomet Seymour Twitter
QB Liam Mickle Liam Mickle 6'0" | 200 lbs | QB Woodstock | 2022 State IL 6’0 202 22′ Woodstock Twitter
RB Gavin Sarvis 6’3 195 22′ Burlington Central Twitter
RB Ashton Yard 23′ Morris Twitter
WR Justin Taylor Justin Taylor 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Nazareth | 2023 State IL 6’0 185 23′ Nazareth Academy Twitter
WR Cam Williams Cam Williams 6'2" | 190 lbs | WR Glenbard South | 2024 State IL 6’2 175 24′ Glenbard South Twitter
WR Dre Egipciaco Dre Egipciaco 6'1" | 175 lbs | WR Galesburg | 2022 State IL 6’0 190 22′ Galesburg Twitter
WR Pierre Allen 6’2 180 22′ Kankakee Twitter
ATH Tysean Griffin Tysean Griffin 5'11" | 165 lbs | ATH Morgan Park | 2024 State IL 5’11 160 24′ Morgan Park Twitter
TE Lucas Austin 6’6 230 24′ Sterling Twitter
OL Tavis Parsakis Tavis Parsakis 6'6" | 295 lbs | OL Hazelwood West | 2022 IL 6’6 305 22′ Centralia Twitter
OL Xavier Farnham 6’3 310 23′ Sterling Twitter
OL Malik Dozier Malik Dozier 6'5" | 220 lbs | OL Kankakee | 2022 State IL 6’4 250 22′ Kankakee Twitter
OL Brett Larson Brett Larson 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Kaneland | 2024 IL 6’3 245 24′ Kaneland Twitter
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