Land of Lincoln Sleepers: Class of 2024 pt. 2
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The state of Illinois is filled with some impressive talent in the game of football. With 2024 recruiting in full swing, I would not be surprised if some of these athletes landed with a big time program. Noah Pfafflin IL…
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Continue ReadingThe state of Illinois is filled with some impressive talent in the game of football. With 2024 recruiting in full swing, I would not be surprised if some of these athletes landed with a big time program.
Noah Pfafflin Noah Pfafflin 6’2″ | 185 lbs | LB Lyons Township | 2024 State IL is another standout Lyons Township athlete to take note of as we head into the 2023 high school football season. With him getting looks from some big-time programs in the midwest, it is clear that his talent is already turning some heads. Noah is a natural athlete who plays the ball well on both sides of the ball. At outside linebacker, Noah has the speed and physicality to dominate the defensive edge of the box. In coverage, Noah has the ball skills to break up passes and generate turnovers. Overall, Noah has the talent to be a game-changing ball player on either side of the ball. Lyons Township has a good one in Noah, and I am looking forward to watching him ball out during his senior year.
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Elijah Romeus Elijah Romeus 6’0″ | 190 lbs | DB Fenwick | 2024 State IL is another primetime ball player with game-changing capability. Spending most of his time in Fenwick’s defensive backfield, Elijah brings a solid mixture of physicality and athleticism when he is on the field. First and foremost, Elijah is a phenomenal tackler who packs a punch at the point of contact. In coverage, Elijah shows that he doesn’t lose any momentum as he flips his hips to turn with whoever he is covering. Elijah is also a big-time special teams player. Whether he is returning kickoffs for big gains, or covering punts, Elijah can seemingly change the field position battle by himself. With all of this being said, it is clear that Elijah is an athlete that everyone needs to have on their radar heading into the future.
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Neuqua Valley’s Carter Stare Carter Stare 5’8″ | 145 lbs | WR Neuqua Valley | 2024 IL is another stand-out reciever who is a certified big play threat. Carter is a phenomenal routerunner who can find windows in coverage without any problem. With his ellusive speed, Carter can blow through coverage and generate big plays down field. Carter is also incredibly athletic and can not only go in and out of breaks with ease but can make defenders miss when he has the ball in his hands. With everything that I have seen from Carter, it is clear that he is a huge piece of the Wildcat’s offense. If he keeps this up, look for him to have a huge senior year and continue to dominate defenses during the 2023 football season.
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Brother Rice’s Randall Nauden Randall Nauden 5’11” | 195 lbs | RB Brother Rice | 2024 State IL is another big play machine to look out for as he heads into his senior year. The play-making running back plays well in a variety of roles and gets the ball moving on the ground or through the air. One of the most impressive parts of his game is his decision-making ability. After he goes through the mesh, Randall finds his running lane and hits the hole hard. Randall is a back who can make flashy plays running between the tackles or taking the ball to the edge. Overall, Randall is one of the more skilled running backs that I have had the chance to e in this class. Look for him to be one of the leading rushers in Illinois in the 2023 season.
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Torey French Torey French 5’8″ | 160 lbs | ATH Carmel Catholic | 2024 State IL out of Carmel Catholic is another athlete to look out for in this upcoming season. Torey is a human swiss army knife type athlete who can do it all on the offensive side of the ball. With his speed, Torey can play at a high level both as a reciever and running back. His athleticism makes him hard to cover when he is out on routes, and hard to tackle when he has the ball in his hands. Lastly, Torey has the ball skills to make a play on any ball that is thrown his way whether he is coming out of the backfield, or split out. With the repertoire that Torey has, he can do anything on the football field to help keep the ball moving and generate points.
Matthew Crider Matthew Crider 6’0″ | 190 lbs | RB Wheaton Warrenville South | 2024 IL of Wheaton Warrenville South is another running back to watch out for this upcoming football season. Standing at 6’1 and weighing about 200 pounds, Matthew has the frame to be a prolific ball carrier when he is on the football field. Crider plays well in both the run game and the passing game and has a knack for making big plays happen. With his strong athleticism and balance, bringing down Matthew is no small task for whoever is having to go against him. Matthew has show to burst through arm tackles and always finds a way to gain yards after contact. From everything that I have seen from Matthew, it is evident that he is going to continue to be a big play threat as we head into the 2023 football season.
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Kaneland’s Aric Johnson Aric Johnson 6’0″ | 190 lbs | WR Kaneland | 2024 State IL is another wideout to have on your radar for the upcoming season. The 6’0 receiver seems to have a knack for getting open and maneuvering through defenses with no trouble at all. When he is split out at receiver, Aric can run an array of routes with ease and has a natural talent for exposing coverages. Aric also has fantastic ball skills that help him bring in some spectacular catches and fight through traffic to bring the ball in. Lastly, Aric has great top-end speed that allows him to break away from defenses effectively. With the arsenal of talent that Aric has, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a breakout 2023 football season.