15 Favorite Illinois 2022 Commitments

Now that the dust has settled from the chaotic Early and National Signing Days, I wanted to try and quickly fit in a feature for our Illinois site and highlight some of my favorite 2022 signings now that a large portion of recruits are off the board. However, I do want to emphasize that there are a significant amount of talented prospects graduating this spring who are still searching for their home at the next level, and recruiting for the 2022 class is far from over. I still have fond memories from my time living in Chicago and miss the high school football scene there, so make sure you stay tuned for some more random articles as I do my best to stay in the loop in the Land of Lincoln. I was lucky enough to scout a lot of the 2022s while I was living in the South Loop as well as Wauconda, IL, so I was invested in the now-seniors and tried to include a variety of divisions programs represented in this feature. Check out who made my favorite 15 2022 Illinois signings below! Thanks for reading. [player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Luther" last="Burden"] (East St. Louis) WR. 6’, 200 lbs. Committed to Mizzou It’s quite exciting that for two years in a row the Land of Lincoln has produced the nation’s #1 WR, and in this 2022 class, the WR1 title was held by East St. Louis Flyers playmaker [player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Luther" last="Burden"]. A former Oklahoma Sooners commit who held offers from just about every program in the country, Burden backed off his commitment in August and eventually made the exciting decision to become a hometown hero and commit to the Mizzou Tigers. #1. I love seeing kids commit to a non-blue chip program. #2. I love seeing kids commit to the hometown school, and since Columbia is only a short 2-hour drive from ESL and Burden is a product of St. Louis, this definitely qualifies. It’s also cool to see the talented wideout go to a program where he can see the spotlight sooner rather than later, that still competes against the best competition in the country, and in the era of NIL playing a role in recruiting I think he has the chance to make himself some money as well. Overall, I think it’s a wise choice for the #1 WR in America and the #1 recruit in Illinois. We’ll be hearing the name [player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Luther" last="Burden"] again soon. [player_tooltip player_id="20875" first="Jordan" last="Anderson"] (Joliet Catholic Academy) RB. 6’3, 225 lbs. Committed to Illinois I was fortunate enough to cover the spring of 2021 matchup between Joliet Catholic Academy and Fenwick at Triton College and got a sneak peek of the monster that is 6’3, 220 pound Hilltoppers RB [player_tooltip player_id="20875" first="Jordan" last="Anderson"]. The most dominant player on a field stacked with FBS talent, Anderson left a lasting impression and I felt that he was both underrated and under-recruited in the P5 recruiting sphere. Luckily, the home state Illini saw the promise and ceiling in the jumbo athlete and was his first P5 offer after six MAC scholarships, and a commitment followed only 20 days later. As I previously mentioned, I am a fan of big-time prospects staying close to home and committing to the hometown or home state program, and Anderson only has ventured less than two hours south to play B1G football for the Illini. I also like that he committed to his first P5 offer, as I personally find that an underappreciated offer and think it is meaningful when a team is the first to recognize and value your talent. Coach Bielema and his staff put their money where their mouth was and really put stock in prospects from Illinois, something that is foundational to success at those major D1 programs in the Land of Lincoln. Additionally, Bielema is a fan of ground-and-pound type rushing attacks that are the trademark of B1G football, which also happens to be built perfectly for the style and frame of Anderson, who beat down opposing defenses in route to a 4A state championship in the fall of 2021. He’s also a great kid with a bright future both on and off the field and we’ll be seeing him on the field of University of Illinois Memorial Stadium sooner rather than later. [player_tooltip player_id="65707" first="Keegan" last="Glover"] (Benton) QB/ATH. 6’, 175 lbs. Committed to Central College (IA) One of the most productive and decorated players in Southern Illinois over the past few seasons comes out of Benton High School and their dual-threat QB [player_tooltip player_id="65707" first="Keegan" last="Glover"]. In 2021, Glover went 160-209 (77%) for 2,338 yards and 33 passing TDs plus 693 rushing yards and 17 more TDs on the ground. He also added two interceptions and a kickoff return for a TD and led the Rangers to an 11-1 record which led to him earning All-State, Academic All-State, Illinois All-Star Shrine Game, All-Conference, Conference OPOY, Southern Illinoisan POY, and News-Gazette All-State Special Mention honors. He was a hot commodity amongst DIII and NAIA suitors and eventually committed to Division III powerhouse Central College in Pella, IA. The Dutch, who went 12-1 in 2021, won their conference and made an appearance deep in the DIII playoffs as they lost in the quarterfinals to UW-Whitewater in a historic season both for the team as well as QB Blaine Hawkins - who set the NCAA all-divisions record for TDs in a season with 63 in 13 games. The Dutch had one of the best offenses in DIII last season and it all centered around their talented QB. I think Central landed a chance to continue that standout play from the QB position in Glover, and I’m excited overall that the stat-monster is joining the DIII ranks. Best of luck, Keegan! [player_tooltip player_id="118827" first="George" last="Litgen"] III (St. Charles North) OLB. 6’2, 200 lbs. Committed to St. Ambrose I have some favorite programs in Illinois that I keep close to the chest and make sure to keep an extra close eye on and St. Charles North happens to be one of them. It was for that reason that I made sure to keep track of the athletic 6’2, 200-pound LB/S hybrid [player_tooltip player_id="118827" first="George" last="Litgen"] III and was eagerly awaiting his college decision when he announced he committed to play NAIA football for St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. I thought the Fighting Bees landed a stud - and when you look at his offer list I think I’m not the only one who would agree. He had offers from Minnesota-Duluth, Winona State, Bucknell, Valparaiso, Butler, Drake, St. Thomas, and Upper Iowa but only took a little more than a month to decide that SAU was the spot for him. I liked the decisiveness in the decision and with that range and variety of DII and FCS opportunities, I think he’s got the chance to be a very successful NAIA linebacker. The Fighting Bees also have put together quite a talented crop of Illinois recruits in their 2022 class and I’ll be excited to check out highlights of that squad over the next few years. [player_tooltip player_id="20927" first="Ty" last="Hopp"] (Aurora Central Catholic) LB. 6’, 220 lbs. Committed to Aurora University A PrepRedzoneIN Showcase veteran who had himself a good day in Crown Point, Indiana last winter/spring at our inaugural showcase in the Hoosier State, Hopp is built like a brick house with thick shoulders and delts and some noteworthy mobility for a legit 220 lber. at the prep level. He’s also explosive, and for his effort and hard work he had earned FBS opportunities from the prestigious military institutions West Point and the Air Force Academy but turned them down to play himself some DIII football for heavyweight Aurora University and the legend Don Beebe in Hopp’s hometown of Aurora. The Spartans have really been building momentum the past few years as they compete for a DIII national championship and have qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons of competition and have been represented by some of the best players in DIII football such as QB Gavin Zimbelman, DB Sean Reyna, and OL Chris Toth. I think he’s a great fit for the NACC and DIII ranks and has a chance to get significant minutes sooner rather than later. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Ty for the next four years. Go Spartans! [player_tooltip player_id="65768" first="Xavier" last="Slayton"] (Crete-Monee) DE. 6’3, 240 lbs. Committed to Idaho I doubt I’m alone in classifying Crete-Monee High School as a lowkey hotbed of talent around 45 minutes south of Chicago. The 6A competitor - home to alums such as Laquon & Juawan Treadwell, Lance Lenoir, Trayvon Rudolph, Clint Ratkovich, and Joshua Tomas - has an upcoming 2023er who I am a big fan of in [player_tooltip player_id="300412" first="Joshua" last="Franklin"], but for their 2022 class, the prized recruit was undoubtedly 6’3, 240 lb. DE [player_tooltip player_id="65768" first="Xavier" last="Slayton"]. A PrepRedzoneIL Showcase veteran standout who impressed all of our scouts at one point or another thanks to his blend of size, speed, quickness, and technical skill in his pass-rushing, Slayton was an FBS talent in our eyes but had a very quiet recruitment that only saw Eastern Michigan pull the trigger on him from the D1 ranks. He also heard from DII’s such as Upper Iowa and Concordia-St. Paul, but he had D1 written all over him and I started to get a little concerned after months had gone by since Slayton was offered by and eventually visited EMU. I could not begin to describe how stoked I was when Slayton surprisingly announced his commitment to play FCS ball for the new staff of the Idaho Vandals! It was right before national signing day, which added to the allure, and I’ve also seen the success now-Head Coach Jason Eck cultivated as the OC at South Dakota State, so I’m pumped the defensive end is going to be a foundational piece of a turnaround attempt at the D1 FCS level. He’s going to look great in the black & yellow of Idaho and he deservingly sees his hard work pay off in this commitment. Good luck, Xavier! [player_tooltip player_id="65808" first="Brock" last="Skaggs"] (Washington Community) LB. 6’1, 240 lbs. Committed to Missouri Baptist It’s not too often you come across a legit 240 lb. linebacker clock a 4.7 short-shuttle, so I think it’s safe to say Washington Community ’backer left a lasting impression when I saw him clock in at nearly a sub-4.7 at one of our first PrepRedzone Showcases in Bettendorf, Iowa a couple of springs ago. Skaggs is also built like a Ford F150 and looks like he would not be a fun opponent to meet in the hole on a critical 3rd down, so I made sure to follow along as he finished out his prep career in Central Illinois at Washington Community. He helped lead the Panthers to a 9-3 record and two playoff victories as a senior, and after the season concluded he announced he would be taking his talents to Missouri Baptist University and the NAIA division of college football for the next four years. I feel like he’s going to grow and lift his way into becoming a really physically impressive college athlete, and if he sticks to the LB position he’s going to be a tank in the run game. Keep workin, Brock! [player_tooltip player_id="20929" first="Cameron" last="Grays"] (Oswego) DB. 5’11, 185 lbs. Committed to Iowa Western A 3-star DB who held an FBS offer from Northern Illinois as well as Missouri Valley scholarships from Illinois State, South Dakota State, and Indiana State, Grays made for a big splash, high-quality junior college DB commit when the Iowa Western Reivers tweeted his intent to play for the 2021 NJCAA national runner-ups. I’m always a fan of players betting on themselves and getting their grades right, and the junior college ranks offer a rare opportunity for both high school players and transfers to get a fresh start and second chance to play college football at the highest level possible. With D1 talent and some quality coaching at the Reivers, I think Grays has the makings to really increase his upside as a recruit and become an impact player in the Reiver secondary. Additionally, defensive backs get recruited well from the JUCO ranks - even with the emergence of the transfer portal shifting the recruiting game on its head - so I like Grays chances of continuing to get seen at the next level and find the right four-year program to eventually finish his career at. Oswego is really starting to churn out D1 talent lately. [player_tooltip player_id="65764" first="Luke" last="Dalton"] (Marian Central Catholic) OT. 6’5, 300 lbs. Committed to Cincinnati You aren’t going to find a bigger [player_tooltip player_id="65764" first="Luke" last="Dalton"] fan outside of his family in all of America! A total grinder who was a consistent foundational presence in our first round of showcases at the genesis of PrepRedzone and particularly PRzIL. Dalton was an obvious FBS-level offensive line prospect who was undoubtedly negatively impacted by the then-new COVID-19 virus and the shutting down of Illinois high school athletics. We were lucky enough to get in at the ground floor of his recruitment and got eyes on him during our first-ever PrepRedzone Showcase in Naperville, Illinois before he had an offer to his name, and over the course of the dead period and the camp circuit I got to watch as he earned double-digit FBS and P5 offers from a variety of suitors all over the country. It was hard not to think that it was a match made in heaven when he reported his offer from G5 powerhouse Cincinnati after a visit in late July, and my thoughts were confirmed when he committed only six days after his offer. He’ll play for a superb coaching staff and a national contending up-and-comer in the Bearcats and I am going to love watching him do it. He’s also a great kid from a great family and is a prospect I can happily say I am one of the most invested in from my time in Illinois. Big things coming, Luke! Go get a ring! [player_tooltip player_id="20913" first="Christian" last="Lorenzo"] (Dekalb) DT. 6’4, 275 lbs. Committed to Illinois (PWO) Another Land of Lincoln product to make a big splash and catch my eye at our inaugural PrepRedzoneIL Showcase, Lorenzo is a big-bodied defensive tackle who showed off quick hands and feet and a notable amount of bend at 6’4, 270+ that impressed the multitude of scouts and media personnel who attended the event from a variety of media sources. Despite his physical size and prowess, Lorenzo never really saw his recruitment take off, and despite late offers from Murray State and Northern Illinois the Dekalb product remained unsigned and never reported a visit or any kind of follow-up interest on either his side or that of the teams. At some point in the process he earned a B1G PWO from the homestate Illini, and at the eleventh hour on National Signing Day the DT tweeted out his commitment to the Fighting Illini and the new staff under Bret Bielema. He’s got the chance to be the steal of the 2022 class and gets a much-deserved chance to play football at the highest level possible. Rooting for you, Christian! [player_tooltip player_id="155097" first="Albert" last="Kunickis"] (Lemont) ATH. 6’3, 210 lbs. Committed to Northwestern (PWO) How could you not root for the accomplished Lemont High School athlete [player_tooltip player_id="155097" first="Albert" last="Kunickis"]? I feel bad for even mentioning the fact that this dude was born without a right hand, because if you weren’t looking for it you would never know based on his physical ability and play style. Kunickis is one of the most natural football players I saw during my time living in Illinois, and can run, catch, tackle, kick, juke, block, and even kick with the ease and efficiency of a D1 prospect. With intriguing size and an impressive pedigree playing RB at the prep level, I almost went bananas when I saw the senior report PWO offers from Michigan and Northwestern, the latter of whom he eventually accepted and accomplished his dream of playing P5 football. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that he is going to develop into a scholarship player for the Northwestern Wildcats and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit to see him contribute on gameday as well. Don’t ever underestimate this dude. [player_tooltip player_id="135690" first="Ryan" last="Calcagno"] (St. Francis) ATH. 6’3, 185 lbs. Committed to the University of St. Thomas A versatile two-way athlete playing for the talent-rich Spartans of St. Francis, Calcagno had a FBS PWO from Northern Illinois and DII offers from MSU-Mankato and Upper Iowa but decided to join the newly-minted D1 FCS program St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. A member of the Pioneer League, St. Thomas has had a lengthy history of developing and finding success with dynamic, athletic, and physical recruits from the Land of Lincoln. Calcagno fits that mold well, and should blend in with the hair-on-fire, 100% effort at all times play style of the UST defense. He plays with a tremendous amount of speed and instincts and I think he’s going to be a fantastic Tommie the next four years. Keep flying around, Ryan! Aaron Vaughn Jr (Brother Rice) RB. 5’10, 190 lbs. Committed to North Central College Aaron Vaughn Jr. accomplished the far from easy task of being a four-year varsity starter in the CCL for powerhouse Brother Rice and totaled 3,500+ AP yards and 35 TDs in his decorated career and earned three All-Conference and two Offensive POY awards for his efforts. He was also one of my most written about Illinois athletes of the 2021 season, as his crazy stat lines helped him become named a 2021 PrepRedzone Weekly Stat Monster on multiple occasions throughout the course of his senior campaign. With great size and a balanced skillset from the RB spot, not to mention his prep accolades playing against some of the best competition Illinois has to offer, I thought Vaughn Jr. would see DII scholarship opportunities come his way from NSIC and GLVC competitors, but the offer never came, and instead the 2022 grad got my juices flowing as he committed to one of the best DIII programs in the nation in Naperville’s North Central College. If I was a betting man, I’d put a little bit of coin on Vaughn Jr. eventually winning the RB1 spot for the Cardinals and being a big part of another future run at the DIII national championship crown. Get yourself some hardware, Aaron! [player_tooltip player_id="120070" first="Corey" last="Phillips"] (Kaneland) ATH. 5’8, 165 lbs. Committed to North Central College My cousins are Kaneland High School graduates and I still have my aunt and uncle living in Sugar Grove so the Knights are an Illinois prep program I keep as close an eye on as about anyone. With some really intriguing upcoming prospects in the ’23, ’24, and even ’25 classes, the gem of their 2022 class was playmaking offensive weapon [player_tooltip player_id="120070" first="Corey" last="Phillips"]. The electric all-purpose athlete was a little ball of lightning with speed and elusiveness for days coming mostly out of the Kaneland backfield. Phillips also did a great job of marketing himself on social media to college programs, and his determination and visibility paid off as he eventually earned DII offers from the University of Indianapolis, Quincy, and McKendree. He excitingly decided to join some fellow former Knights in Naperville at North Central at the DIII level, and I think it’s a fantastic match as Phillips gets an excellent opportunity to continue to showcase how dangerous he is in the open field to the highest degree possible. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the release of the 2022 rosters so I can check out what position they got him at. More TDs coming, Corey! [player_tooltip player_id="20877" first="Jacque" last="Walls"] (Fenwick) S. 5’11, 180 lbs. Committed to Minnesota State University-Mankato I got to see Walls play live and in-person during the 2021 spring season in Illinois, and playing against some excellent competition in the JCA Hilltoppers the unassuming thumper had himself a game as he echoed big hit after big hit through the bleachers of Triton’s turf field. With the skillset, tools, and prep experience to find success at the DII level, I think his frame can really flourish in the Maverick’s S&C program and I know for a fact MSU-Mankato DB coach and my guy Lavell Jackson is going to develop and strength his technique to get the absolute most out of Walls’ game. The Mavericks have an accomplished history with its DBs and I think the Fenwick Friar product can continue that lineage when given the chance. Windy City Walls is coming to Southern Minnesota, the NSIC better be ready!