Illinois’ Top 2024 Wide Receivers Without an Offer

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The land of Lincoln is filled with talented skill players and the wide receiver group is no exception. Today, I wanted to look at some of the state's top junior wideouts without an offer. These young men balled out in 2022 and put up some impressive numbers this fall. Look for their recruitment to gain some serious momentum this spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you have any prospects you'd like for me to watch, please @ them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='271291' first='Michael' last='Prokos'], 6' 170, Crystal Lake South</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Impressive production in 2022, totalling 1,010 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Is a natural deep ball tracker that can create plenty of separation at the top of his route. Displayed strong hands and a willingness to go over the middle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='161329' first='Julius' last='Ellens'], 5'9" 170, Glenbard West</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His versatility could be his best asset, as he displayed a high ceiling at both wide receiver and running back. Was a touchdown machine last fall, hitting paydirt thirty total times on his way to being named the conference Offensive Player of the Year. Ellens shows great top-end speed, smooth change of direction, and some serious wiggle with the football in his hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='271903' first='Grant' last='McAtee'], 6'3" 185, Mt. Zion</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long strider with a massive catch radius. Grant shows outstanding body control and soft hands through traffic. He's quite elusive after the catch and has the burst to split two defenders. A redzone mismatch that finished 2022 with fifteen total touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='277136' first='Maurice' last='Densmore'], 6' 170, Maine South</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Excellent concentration to go with superb leaping ability. Densmore has the footwork and active hands to easily defeat press coverage. He made multiple highlight real catches on tape, making defensive backs look silly in the process. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Parker Gillespie, 5'10" 160, Rochester</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Good straight-line speed to go with solid vision. Parker may be on the skinnier side, but he's strong through contact and can pick up a boatload of YAC. He always seems to find his way behind coverage to create long-chunk plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='354219' first='JT' last='Jeter'], 6'2" 170, Macomb</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A deceptive route runner that can make a play on the 50/50 ball. On tape, he's a double-move artist who can generate enough separation to make throws easy on his quarterback. He's shown he can adjust to poorly thrown balls and make tough catches out of awkward body positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Darrion Gilliam, 6'5" 185, Mount Carmel</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long and knows how to use his frame as a weapon. Gilliam easily adjusts to back-shoulder throws and will quickly tuck the ball away shielding it from the defender. He's got a misleading head-fake and accelerates out of his cuts at the top of his route. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Gavin Camp, 6' 180, Normal West</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Exceptional creativity in space with the football, along with the ability to spot the cutback. Can make a huge impact as a kick returner and set up an offense in plus territory. He has a good mixture of physicality and finesse as a runner. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->