Prep Redzone Illinois: 7A All State Offensive Edition

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 those that made the playoffs. After reviewing the film of over 700 athletes in the class of 7A, we're diving into the 7A All-State Offensive Edition. Without further ado, let's dive into it. <hr /> 1st Team QB [player_tooltip player_id="65705" first="Jack" last="Lausch"] 6'3 195 22' Brother Rice <a href="https://twitter.com/jack_lausch">Twitter</a> Mr. Lausch can work out of platform, when he does he can extend plays by escaping the collapsed pocket and getting the ball to his man downfield. He's mobile as he runs the option and has the next gear to outrun the 2nd level of defenders as well as outrun pursuit angles. His legs keep the defense honest when he runs options and RPOs. This young man puts easy velocity across all levels (level 1 2 & 3), puts a touch on the deep ball, and can add zip on the ball as well giving you the best of both worlds. When running between the tackles, he has the vision to follow blocks and read them well breaking long runs in the process. He's creative as he knows that he can beat defenders in more way than one, especially when he makes something out of nothing. QB [player_tooltip player_id="20863" first="Mark" last="Forcucci"] 6'1 190 22' Wheaton North <a href="https://twitter.com/ForcucciMark">Twitter </a> Mr. Forcucci can make all level throws (level 1, level 2, & level 3) where he can add a touch across all levels or add zip on the ball. When working in platform, he can make throws in tight windows and can get the ball off under pressure. He navigates the pocket well as he can feel pocket pressure and knows when to step up in the pocket as it's collapsing to deliver a strike downfield. When working out of platform, he keeps his eyes downfield to find an open man and once he does he fluidly flips his hips to add extra velocity on the ball while his upper/lower half are working in unison. As a last resort, this young man doesn't have a problem pulling the ball down to scramble to keep the chains moving. RB Aaron Vaughn Jr 5'10 190 22' Brother Rice <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronVaughnJr2">Twitter</a> Mr. Vaughn can catch out of the backfield and gets vertical quickly, as defenders try to bring him down he bounces off hits with his low center of gravity. He has the vision to find running lanes quickly between tackles, upon securing the handoff he gets vertical quickly where he uses his good burst/bounce to evade tackles. This young man looks comfortable in the open field both as a receiver and as a running back as he also lines up in the slot. Here he uses his lateral quickness when running jet sweeps to turn the corner and finds the soft spot in zone coverages to be an outlet for his quarterback. Knowing that he can attack the defender in multiple ways, he gets creative mixing in an array of moves to make the defender miss in open space. RB [player_tooltip player_id="134542" first="Jalen" last="Buckley"] 6'0 185 22' Batavia <a href="https://twitter.com/JalenBuckley27">Twitter </a> Mr. Buckley finds running lanes quickly between tackles as he burst through the line of scrimmage and has that next gear to outrun pursuit angles as well as blow by the 2nd level. When he breaks a big run he has long speed limiting the chances of him being hawked down from behind. Keeping a low center of gravity, he keeps his feet driving to break weak arm tackles and fights for extra yards. He also has the vision to see cutback lanes where he uses a one cut & go to hit the cutback lane hard resulting in him gashing the opposing defense. In the air attack, he can catch out of the backfield and gets vertical quickly when doing so further showcasing the impact he can have on a game. WR [player_tooltip player_id="20868" first="Kaleb" last="Brown"] 5'11 190 22' St. Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/ikaleb35">Twitter</a> Mr. Brown is a slot receiver that can win over the top with his speed and utilizing leverage to his advantage. He does so by being quick off the line of scrimmage to gain a step on the defender, stack him, and break him off at the top of the route creating separation. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical quicky and weaves in & out of defenders as he has that next gear to blow by the 2nd level as well as outrun pursuit angles. He's elusive as he makes defenders miss in open space and finds the soft spot in zone coverage. When he's lined up in the backfield he has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles and finds cutback lanes quickly. On deep shots downfield, he attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch and uses his lateral quickness to turn the corner when running jet sweeps. WR [player_tooltip player_id="20881" first="Jashawn" last="Johnson"] 22' ATH Hoffman Estates <a href="https://twitter.com/jashawn_3">Twitter</a> Mr. Johnson is quick off the line of scrimmage, he uses this to stack the defender and break him off at the top of the route creating separation on the play. Upon securing the catch, he gets vertical quickly as he then weaves in & out of defenders making them miss in open space. He can win over the top with speed as well as attacking the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch and make the catch in traffic. This young man has the next gear to outurn pursuit angles and blow by the 2nd level of defenders as he changes gears quickly. WR Derek McClinon 6'1 170 22' Plainfield Central <a href="https://twitter.com/mcclinon_derek">Twitter</a> Mr. McClinon gets vertical quickly upon securing the catch and can line up in both the slot as well as outside. Once he secures the catch, he gets vertical quickly where he then weaves in & out of defenders making the first defender miss in open space showcasing his elusiveness. He can win over the top of the defense with his speed as he's quick off the line of scrimmage attacking the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch and can make the catch in traffic. This young man finds soft spots in zone coverage where he sits to become an outlet for his quarterback. These skillsets transition into the return game where he gets vertical quickly upon receiving the kickoff and has the vision to see the return lanes quickly as he gets into the endzone at times during these returns. TE [player_tooltip player_id="20891" first="Henry" last="Boyer"] 6'7 250 22' Brother Rice <a href="https://twitter.com/henryboyer17">Twitter</a> Mr. Boyer does a good job during the quarterback scramble drill of getting vertical to become an outlet for his quarterback. This young man can make the catch in traffic when he's running shallow crossing routes as well as when he checks & releases - both of which he gets vertical upon securing the catch. He can also find the soft spot in zone coverage where he sits to become an outlet for his quarterback and can line up in the slot as well as at the Tight End position. In the run game, he knocks the defensive lineman to the ground when pulling as he's physical at the point of attack punching his hands getting inside hand placement and keeps his feet driving to finish the play through the whistle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="20900" first="Valen" last="Erickson"] 6'6 305 22' St. Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/ValenErickson">Twitter</a> Mr. Erickson fires off the ball and latches on quickly as he's physical at the point of attack. When he's pulling he does a good job of sealing the outside line backer as well as picking up the defensive back playing the alley showcasing his mobility. If he isn't pulling, he washes the defensive lineman down, gets to 2nd level blocks cutting off line backer flow, and showcases his power by driving the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defender to get within arms length before latching on and stopping the defender in his tracks. In the run game, he has a quick extension and a quick punch to further showcase his physicality as he finishes by keeping his feet driving through the whistle. OL Zak Bowden 6'5 260 22' Brother Rice <a href="https://twitter.com/Zak73899714">Twitter</a> Mr. Bowden gets out of his stance qucikly when pulling and latches on quickly in open space as a lead blocker, here he's able to pick up the defender playing the alley giving his teammate a block to run off of. This young man gets to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow, washes the defensive lineman down, and simply gets after it. You get an insight into his power in both the run and pass game. In the run game, he drives the defensive lineman back 5+ yards and puts linebackers on their back while in pass protection he uses his lateral movement to use a quick punch getting hands inside of the defender at the point of attack. Once he's latched on, it's difficult getting off of his blocks as he finishes plays well by playing through the whistle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="20904" first="Paolo" last="Gennarelli"] 6'3 280 22' St. Charles North <a href="https://twitter.com/Gennarelli2022">Twitter</a> Mr. Gennarelli fires off the ball and latches on quickly as he's physical at the point of attack, This young man does a good job of washing the defensive lineman down and finishing plays by driving the defensive lineman back 5+ yards as he finishes by playing through the whistle. He does so by keeping his feet driving as he gets inside hand placement until that whistle is blown. In pass protection, he attacks the rushing defensive lineman by quickly getting out of his stance and delivering a quick punch at the point of attack. Once this happens, he gets hands inside and can either neutralize the pass rush by having a stalemate at the line of scrimmage or can simply throw the defender to the side by overpowering him showcasing his power. OL Jonathan Young 6'6 285 22' Andrew <a href="https://twitter.com/Jon_young04">Twitter</a> Mr. Young does a good job finishing by keeping his feet driving and playing through the whistle. This young man fires off the ball and latches on quickly getting inside hand placement. When doing so, he's aggressive at the point of attack. He gets to 2nd level blocks where he cuts off linebacker flow and washes the defensive lineman down in the run game. In pass protection, he gets out of his stance quickly showing hands and uses his lateral movement to "close the door" quickly as he latches on. OL [player_tooltip player_id="65876" first="Jacob" last="Klink"] 6'4 380 23' Hononegah <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobKlink76">Twitter</a> Mr. Klink can consistently make kick out the defensive end/outside linebacker when he's pulling giving his teammate a block to run off of. This young man moves well for his size as he's used as a lead blocker to block in open space as well, here he picks up the defensive back playing the alley and can seal the outside linebacker. He washes the defensive lineman down, gets to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow, and drives the defensive lineman back 5+ yards showcasing his power. Once he gets out of his stance, he latches on quickly and finishes by keeping his feet driving as he plays through the whistle. Moves well for his size. 2nd Team QB [player_tooltip player_id="133261" first="Jimmy" last="Makuh"] 6'3 175 22' Hersey <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmy_makuh">Twitter</a> Mr. Makuh can get the ball out quickly when running RPOs and extends plays by keeping his eyes downfield as he escapes pocket pressure to find his man downfield. When working in platform, he gets the ball off under pressure as he puts a touch on the deep ball. He can make all level throws (level 1, level 2, & level 3) where he can add a touch across all levels or add zip on the ball. When working out of platform, he can throw on the run where his upper/lower half work in unison as he has a fluid flip of his hips. If nothing is open downfield, this young man can pull the ball down to scramble to keep the chains moving. QB Blainey Dowling 6'1 185 23' Mt. Carmel <a href="https://twitter.com/BlaineyDowling">Twitter</a> Mr. Dowling has good pocket presence as he steps up in the pocket to navigate the pocket pressure around him and gets the ball off under pressure. When he works out of platform he has a soft touch on the ball and keeps his eyes downfield when escaping the pocket. This forces the defense to collapse on him as his legs are a legit man, as this happens he finds his man downfield to keep the chains moving. He can make level 1 2 & 3 throws where he can add a touch on the deep ball as well as add zip on the ball and gives his receivers a chance to come away with 50/50 balls. His mobility is what really catches the eye as he weaves in & out of defenders with ease and gets vertical quickly. When in open space, he uses his elusiveness to make the first defender miss so he can gain extra yards on the play. RB Aaron Larkins Jr 5'11 185 22' Plainfield Central <a href="https://twitter.com/aarrrron_">Twitter</a> Mr. Larkins weaves in and out of defenders in open space as he changes gears quickly. He has that next level gear which he uses to burst through the line of scrimmage and blow past the 2nd level of defenders as well as outrun pursuit angles. This young man can find running lanes quickly between the tackles and uses his lateral quickness to turn the corner. Once he's in open space, he can make the first defender miss and maintains a low center of gravity as he keeps his feet driving to break weak arm tackles. He's also used in the air attack as he can catch out of the backfield. Once he secures the catch, he gets vertical quickly gaining extra yards on the play. RB Kanye Tyler 6'0 180 23' Pekin <a href="https://twitter.com/KanyeTyler1">Twitter</a> Mr. Tyler gets vertical quickly upon securing the handoff. He has the vision to find running lanes quickly between the tackles and hits them hard upon doing so. This young man has that next level gear which he uses to burst through the line of scrimmage and blow past the 2nd level of defenders, once he clears the 2nd level there's no catching him as he'll outrun the pursuit angles. He uses his lateral quickness to turn the corner, once he does he plants his foot to get vertical quickly. As he maintains a low center of gravity, he finishes plays by keeping his feet driving to fight for extra yards and plays through contact by bouncing off hits. Also, he isn't afraid to lower his shoulder. WR [player_tooltip player_id="155230" first="Matthew" last="Bailey"] 6'2 190 22' Moline <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewBailey_7">Twitter</a> Mr. Bailey can win over the top with his speed and goes up for 50/50 balls. This young man is quick off the line of scrimmage, he uses this to gain a step on the defender as he stacks him before breaking him off at the top of the route. Once this happens, it creates enough separation for him to attack the ball at the highest point to come away with the contested catch. He can find the soft spot in zone coverage, gets vertically quickly upon securing the catch, and weaves in & out of defenders when in open space as he changes gears quickly. A deep threat downfield that's also a deadly return man that can set his team up in good starting field position or take it to the house. WR Connor Dickson 6'0 190 22' Libertyville <a href="https://twitter.com/ConnorDickson17">Twitter</a> Mr. Dickson can line up outside or in the slot, both of which he uses leverage to win his route against the defender. He does so by getting to the defender's toes before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation. This young man finds soft spots in zone coverage, goes up for 50/50 balls, and runs a nasty double move where he utilizes a quick head fake as he's stemming inside before quickly stemming his route outside and getting vertically quickly to win over the top. In the run game, he stalk blocks where he gets hands inside and drives the defender back through the whistle. He also crack blocks the outside linebacker to seal the running lane for his teammate. At times, he'll line up as quarterback running design runs. When doing so, he gets vertical quickly upon securing the snap and finishes by keeping his feet driving as he plays through contact. WR Michael Morgan 5'10 175 22' Plainfield East <a href="https://twitter.com/mmorgan784">Twitter </a> Mr. Morgan is an outside receiver that attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with contested catches and is one heck of a redzone target for his quarterback. This young man can make the catch in traffic, use a toe tap for sideline grabs, and find the soft spots in zone coverage where he'll sit to be an outlet for his quarterback. When he has a free release he wins over the top easily as he's quick off the line of scrimmage and can get to the defender's toes quickly before breaking him off at the top of the route creating separation. Once in open space, his elusiveness comes to light as he makes defenders miss with his quick cuts as well as weaving in & out of defenders. TE [player_tooltip player_id="130225" first="Grant" last="Stec"] 6'6 220 24' Jacobs <a href="https://twitter.com/stec_grant">Twitter</a> Mr. Stec is quick off the line of scrimmage, he attack the ball at the highest point and comes away with contested catches - he has a long catch radius as he consistently secures catches outside his frame. This young man can win over the top with his speed as he takes long strides and keeps his feet driving to break weak arm tackles upon securing the catch. In the run game, he latches on quickly driving back the defensive end/outside linebacker and can wash the defensive lineman down. OL [player_tooltip player_id="158772" first="Trenton" last="VanBoening"] 6'6 280 23' Libertyville <a href="https://twitter.com/TrentonVB23">Twitter </a> Mr. VanBoening washes the defensive lineman down and latches on quickly. He fires off the ball using his initial punch to gain inside leverage driving the defensive lineman 5+ yards back and finishes by keeping his feet driving as he plays through the whistle. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defender before latching on and neutralizing the defender at the line of scrimmage. OL Asher Tomaszewski 6'4 275 23' Mt. Carmel <a href="https://twitter.com/ashertomaszews1">Twitter</a> Mr. Tomaszewski works up to the 2nd level which results in cutting off linebacker flow and is physical at the point of attack. This results in him driving the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield as well as on occasion driving the defender into the ground. When pulling, he picks up the outside linebacker as well as the defensive back playing the alley by latching on quickly. Upon doing so, he seals the running lane for his teammate. This young man has a good initial push giving an insight into his strength/power. He finishes plays well as he keeps his feet driving and plays through the whistle. OL [player_tooltip player_id="254962" first="Henry" last="Warsaw"] 6'3 240 23' St. Charles North <a href="https://twitter.com/HenryWarsaw">Twitter</a> Mr. Warsaw fires off the ball and latches on quickly, pair this with his finishing ability and you get yourself a mauler as he has a good push at the point of attack and drives the defensive lineman back 5+ yards downfield through the whistle. He works up to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow and washes the defensive lineman down in the run game. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defender before punching his hands getting inside hand placement to neutralize the rush at the line of scrimmage. OL Miki Jovanovic 6'2 225 22' Hersey <a href="https://twitter.com/MikiJ76">Twitter</a> Mr. Jovanovic washes the defensive lineman down and can get to 2nd level blocks cutting off the linebacker flow. Once he's out of his stance, he latches on quickly and finishes plays by keeping his feet driving as he drives the defensive lineman back 5+ yards. When pulling, he kicks out the defensive end/outside linebacker and can block in open space to seal the outside linebacker or pick up the defensive back playing the alley - both of which create a running lane for the ball carrier. In pass protection, he doubles with the Center if nobody is attacking his gap. OL [player_tooltip player_id="155268" first="Frank" last="Eleftheriou"] 6'0 225 22' Rolling Meadows <a href="https://twitter.com/frankele50">Twitter</a> Mr. Eleftheriou is aggressive at the point of attack as he fires off the ball and latches on quickly. Upon latching on, he finishes plays by keeping his feet driving to drive the defensive lineman 5+ yards downfield and playing through the whistle. He washes the defensive lineman down and works up to 2nd level blocks cutting off linebacker flow. In pass protection, he uses his lateral movement to patiently await the rushing defensive lineman to get within arm reach before latching on. Honorable Mention QB Nate Kraus 6'2 210 22' Yorkville <a href="https://twitter.com/Nate_kraus1">Twitter </a> QB Caleb Swanson 6'1 210 22' Niles North <a href="https://twitter.com/calebswanny">Twitter</a> QB [player_tooltip player_id="155034" first="Chase" last="Mackey"] 6'3 200 22' Normal Community <a href="https://twitter.com/Chase_mackey5">Twitter</a> RB Yashua Pettis-Taylor 6'0 190 22' Hoffman Estates <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorYashua">Twitter </a> RB [player_tooltip player_id="155086" first="Justin" last="Harris"] 6'0 185 22' Lincoln-Way West <a href="https://twitter.com/Justinharris114">Twitter </a> WR [player_tooltip player_id="155228" first="Brandon" last="Bell"] 6'0 165 22' Wheaton Warrenville South <a href="https://twitter.com/brandonb_jr">Twitter </a> WR Da'Kobie Wordlaw 22' Brother Rice <a href="https://twitter.com/Wordlaw_II">Twitter</a> WR [player_tooltip player_id="20884" first="Ben" last="Clawson"] 22' Hersey <a href="https://twitter.com/bclawson33">Twitter </a> TE [player_tooltip player_id="205687" first="Nick" last="True"] 6'5 190 23' Jacobs <a href="https://twitter.com/NickTrue16">Twitter</a> OL Justin Arya 6'4 275 22' Niles North <a href="https://twitter.com/Justin_A_50">Twitter</a> OL [player_tooltip player_id="139451" first="Michael" last="Jimmar"] 6'6 280 23' Plainfield East <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmarMichael">Twitter</a> OL [player_tooltip player_id="135837" first="Collin" last="Gerger"] 6'3 220 23' St. Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/cgerger72">Twitter</a> OL Nick Syron 6'4 305 22' Plainfield Central <a href="https://twitter.com/NickSyron">Twitter</a> OL Sam Tsagalis 6'4 264 22' Prospect <a href="https://twitter.com/tsag79">Twitter </a> <hr /> Be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/PRZJordan">@PRZJordan</a> regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/prepredzoneIL">@PrepRedzoneIL</a>. 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