PRzIL 2025 Rankings Update: Superlatives & Misc. Favorite Players

Only two articles left in our 2025 rankings update coverage for the Great State of Illinois! We've covered the update's biggest stock-risers, hardest hitters, top unoffered standouts, and top offensive watchlist players to know (defense is up next), and despite the number of prospects we've highlighted and broken down, there's still some stud rising juniors who haven't received any attention and more than deserving of some love. In an effort to include some of my favorite names and faces from the 2025 class, PRzIL is putting together a miscellaneous feature naming some superlatives from the rising juniors in the Land of Lincoln's Top-150 rankings. All these kids are ballers and have bright futures ahead of them as college football prospects and players, let's get to know them below.   --   High Ceiling:   [player_tooltip player_id='830853' first='Trey' last='Zvonar'] (Lincoln-Way East) TE. 6'4, 215 lbs.   We've seen prospects like LWE TE [player_tooltip player_id='830853' first='Trey' last='Zvonar'] blow up before, including this current recruiting cycle, as long, lean, athletic TEs who can run and offer a ton of upside in the passing game are hard to come by and can be a game-changer for a collegiate offense. Zvonar very much fits the bill, and as a bonus he comes out of one of the best big-school programs in Illinois, something college programs have already taken notice of, as Zvonar already holds offers from Indiana State, Eastern Illinois, and Illinois State from the FCS level. They won't be his last offers either, as the 6'4, 215 lber. is a long-limbed, long-strider who can bust open a defense down the seam and carry defenders for extra yardage while offering a ton of strength, technique, and effort as a run blocker. He's got no problems sticking his head into a defender's chest plate, plays with good inside hands, and shows great leg drive once he's engaged with a defender, plus the ability to take on larger DEs and EDGEs around the LOS and smaller, quicker LBs and DBs in space. There's an impressively balanced foundation and athletic profile going into his upperclassman campaign and I'm excited to see how another offseason in the weight room and S&C program has treated Zvonar.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/trey_zvonar/status/1648451937271164931?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='830850' first='Kaiser' last='Williams'] (Naperville North) DB. 6'4, 185 lbs.   Defensive backs are certainly trending in the bigger & longer direction, and 6'4, 185 lb. Naperville North DB [player_tooltip player_id='830850' first='Kaiser' last='Williams'] owns the eye-popping size to catch college programs' attention, and the athleticism to hold it. Plus, Williams is coming from a high school program and area that is no stranger to P5 standouts. The free safety and nickel showed proficiency to break up passes and make plays in both man and zone coverage, closes quickly, can be a hammer at the contact point, and shows some solid hips & can start/stop and burst out of his breaks when needed. There's speed and acceleration aplenty in Williams' game and it shows up on both offense and special teams. Around the box, operating out of the slot or as a the high safety, Williams has a versatile and athletic skillset from the DB position with a frame that can really develop at the next level. His potential, ceiling, and upside is one of the highest in the 2025 class of Land of Lincoln prospects.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Kaiserwilliams0/status/1647752361392197633?s=20 </div></figure>   Speed Demon:   [player_tooltip player_id='830855' first='Jahmani' last='Muhammad'] (Harlem) RB. 5'8, 155 lbs.   There was no way I could complete the PrepRedzoneIL 2025 rankings update coverage without mentioning Harlem RB [player_tooltip player_id='830855' first='Jahmani' last='Muhammad']. Speed, big-play ability, and an electric sophomore highlight tape made the rising junior RB one of my favorite prospects in the 2025 class, and Muhammad's stats back up the hype, as he posted over 1,500 rushing yards and 18 TDs last fall to earn All-Conference and 6A All-State Honorable Mention honors as a sophomore. A bolt of lightning with the rock in hand, Muhammad's got eye-popping burst, impressive start/stop skills and quick feet, balance, and vision, not to mention speed at the top end. In the blink of an eye, Muhammad can get through the first two levels of a defense and find open field before opponents can even react, and he brought the same explosiveness to the special teams department as a returner. Twitchy and sudden, you don't want to see this kid in space either. As mentioned, it's an electric skillset that is hard to come by and makes him a must-know in the Illinois 2025 offensive crop of prospects and especially RBs.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JahmaniMuhammad/status/1617026428003819521?s=20 </div></figure>   Small-School Must-Knows:   [player_tooltip player_id='330481' first='Robert' last='Boyd-Meents'] (Paxton-Buckley-Loda) RB. 5'11, 190 lbs.   A recent standout at a Fighting Illini prospect camp from this summer, Central Illinois standout RB [player_tooltip player_id='330481' first='Robert' last='Boyd-Meents'] represents Paxton-Buckley-Loda from Class 3A and is a promising and potentially major stock riser when talking Land of Lincoln D1 prep recruits. With an impressive blend of size and speed, Boyd-Meents finds and takes advantage of an opposing team's sideline but can operate out in space or between the tackles. He's got patience, a couple of extra gears of burst when he's given daylight, contact balance and an efficient stiff-arm, vision, and a bouncy run style that can avoid contact and find open holes at all levels of a defense. Additionally, he can lay some massive blocks in pass pro or as a lead blocker and was productive and showed flashes of dominance as a sophomore last fall. Keep his name fresh in your memory, he could blow up sooner rather than later and has a bright future these next two years of high school ball and beyond.   Punches Above His Weight Class:   [player_tooltip player_id='832143' first='Terrell' last='Williams'] (Stagg) DL.   For the life of me, I couldn't find any type of measurements for Stagg's big #99 and standout interior DL [player_tooltip player_id='832143' first='Terrell' last='Williams'], despite trying on every available roster, film, and directory I could find across the great wide web. However, I know he isn't the biggest DT, but that doesn't mean he isn't a beast. Williams has an eye-catching sophomore tape with flashes of complete physical dominance and was a force from the interior in both the run and pass game. A great get-off, balanced and strong through contact, with the ability to diagnose and disrupt opposing plays quickly, and the strength to destroy both 1-on-1 and double teams, Williams was a gap-stuffing, brick wall of a defender who opposing ball carriers did not want to have get his hands on them. Williams could easily and impressively toss RBs and QBs to the ground or downfield like they were ragdolls, and won a ton of reps from his explosive first step. The get-off catches your eye and the strength keeps it, he's efficient, consistent, and one of the better DTs in the state at defeating blocks and impacting the run game. With the premium and value interior defensive linemen have in prep football recruiting, he's a must-know in the Land of Lincoln 2025 DT ranks that could really make a collegiate recruiter look like a genius.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/AAStaggFootball/status/1651573866605563908?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='833300' first='Quinn' last='Duhon'] (Whitney Young) WR/S. 5'8, 160 lbs.   There are a lot of personal links to Whitney Young High School's high school program and its football program. In addition to many of my wife's cousins attending the magnet school, PrepRedzone's General Manager Jake Lemming used to coach with the Dolphins, so for a multitude of reasons I keep a close eye on Whitney Young and their prospects year-to-year, both for my enjoyment and the sake of PRzIL. Out of their 2025 class, there are some definite standouts, and I'm a big-time fan of 5'8, 160 lb. athlete [player_tooltip player_id='833300' first='Quinn' last='Duhon'], who punches well above his weight class and brings a dynamic skillset to the table as a recruit. Also a sprinter on the track & field team for the Dolphins, Duhon was productive from both his WR and safety spots, showing the ability to take the top off the defense but also the control to break down, work back to the ball, and make a toe-tapping snag along the sideline to help his QB out. He's a solid route runner with a big catch radius for his size. I also really enjoy his safety highlights, as Duhon comes downhill and covers a ton of ground when triggering on ball carriers, either out to the edge or straight downhill to meet bigger RBs between the tackles and stick them for minimal gains. Duhon also does a good job of patrolling the MOF, as he's able to make plays on deep balls from his hash to the sideline, and is exciting with the ball in-hand from either spot with the ability to break tackles in multiple ways. He can run through tackle attempts in surprisingly impressive fashion for his size. Three-phase standout with a ton of versatility and experience in his game.   [player_tooltip player_id='835152' first='Nathan' last='Williams'] (Lake Forest) ATH. 5'7, 165 lbs.   Lake Forest's [player_tooltip player_id='835152' first='Nathan' last='Williams'] originally caught the attention of our NSD and General Manager Jake Lemming, and after he passed the word down to me about Williams' athleticism and ability to punch well above his weight class, I just had to check him out. He more than lived up to the hype, and college programs seem to be in agreement, as Williams already holds offers from Miami (OH) and William & Mary. In his highlights, which encompass both his sophomore and freshman years, the Lake Forest athlete has some eye-popping reps in all three phases of the game, which includes electric ST returns filled with missed tackles, WWE-style suplex tackles, interceptions, and a fluid and athletic play style. This dude is just a natural football player. Williams is productive and instinctive in zone coverage as a CB, can start/stop on a dime and is very quick out of his breaks, shows impressive comfortability and aggression when tackling 1-on-1 and in space, and is overall quick and controlled and an exciting DB, not to mention his prowess as a returner and offensive threat. There's a punt return where he takes the ball straight into the teeth of the return team with traffic and a mass of bodies all around him and bursts upfield before suddenly putting the shake on a couple would-be tacklers, stiff-arming a kid into the ground like they're a child, and giving the rest of the return team fits before a few end up corralling him around the 5-10 yard line. The control, COD skills, fluidity, and physicality, not to mention athleticism, makes him a really fun CB prospect at the next level for me. Love his tape, I couldn't do a miscellaneous feature of some of my favorite Land of Lincoln prospects without mentioning [player_tooltip player_id='835152' first='Nathan' last='Williams'].   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Nate_Williams15/status/1637539615522340865?s=20 </div></figure>   JV Must-Know:   [player_tooltip player_id='832144' first='Declan' last='Walsh'] (Benet Academy) DL/TE. 6'3, 230 lbs.   As I mentioned in a previous feature, varsity experience played a big role in constructing our PRzIL 2025 Top-150 rankings, and although it did impact a prospects consideration for the big board, it wasn't a necessity, and a few JV-only players did slip into the rankings. The main one to know is Benet Academy's [player_tooltip player_id='832144' first='Declan' last='Walsh'], who was on JV for a different reason than most, as the 2025er was prohibited from varsity action and had to take a year off after transferring from Nazareth Academy. Not your normal JVer, the 6'3, 230 lb. Walsh was an absolute force against non-varsity competition, As a DE, Walsh possesses power, twitch, and bend, and was a hammer at the contact point, and as a TE, Walsh was very useful in the pass catching game, and popped off long TD receptions as well as tough but important routine catches down the seam and in the MOF required from the TE spot. He was just too big and too fast for JV defensive backs, who watched him run by them and then need one or two of their extra teammates to help bring him down once they got ahold of him. Walsh simply didn't belong on JV, so I'm excited to see him in his natural setting of varsity action this fall, with the hunger and frustartion of having to sit back a year fueling him. Benet Academy is going to love having him on the squad this fall.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/declanwalsh54/status/1669311947395801088?s=20 </div></figure>   More Stud DBs:   [player_tooltip player_id='299449' first='Gavin' last='Hagan'] (Providence Catholic) DB. 6'1, 180 lbs.   With the amount of defensive back talent on the PRzIL 2025 rankings and my love and experience at the position, I just had to get a couple more previously unnamed DBs in this feature and show them some deserving love and attention. We'll start with Providence Catholic's [player_tooltip player_id='299449' first='Gavin' last='Hagan'], a 6'1, 180 lber. and All-Area pick from 2022 who saw his first offer come in during late March from the Akron Zips. The Celtics DB group is loaded going into the fall and led by Hagan, who brings big play speed and productivity from the CB and punt return spots. He can easily stay on top of faster WRs out on the perimeter, as well as the recovery speed to play aggressively and get back to a good position, and shows off good eye discipline and can flip his hips and head well when man turning in 1-on-1 coverage. I also love how he plays the ball in the air, as he'll go all-out and put his body on the line to snag an INT, and he's also quick when changing direction and smooth and balanced getting out of his breaks. He played the ball so well in some of his 2022 reps you'd think he was running the route as opposed to the wideout, and Hagan also broke up passes with his physicality as well as his ball skills. He made some quality tackles both at the catch point and in run support, and overall is a fluid, long, do-it-all DB who is sticky, consistent in his technique, and a big-play machine in coverage. Hagan island is not an island I'd want to be on if I was a WR. Can't wait to get more tape of this kid I really enjoy and am impressed with his game going into his junior year.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Gavinhagan32/status/1640526522787266560?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='830845' first='Le'Javier' last='Payne'] (Mount Carmel) DB. 5'9, 170 lbs.   Starting in the Chicago Catholic League as a sophomore is no easy task, and Mount Carmel's [player_tooltip player_id='830845' first='Le'Javier' last='Payne'] made it look easy, not to mention his prolific camp performances from this offseason. Payne's performance at the Rivals Cincinnati camp in April led to his first D1 offer from UAB, and he also had a good showing at the Purdue camp early in June. He could also qualify as "punching above his weight class", but he's more than able to qualify as a stud DB, so we're rolling with that superlative for now. A part of the Class 7A state champion Caravan, Payne primarily played from the slot or as the high safety, and can flip his hips well to play and undercut routes, as well as trigger on the ball well and get to the WR quickly to prevent extra yardage gains and also lay some assertive sticks once he gets his pads on them. Payne also made some good plays on kickoffs and kick returns, as he has some juice as a returner but will fly downfield and lay a stick on coverage. Physicality is a big part of his game and I'm excited to see it develop as he grows and ages, as well as his coverage ability.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HPayne2007/status/1665871641224572928?s=20 </div></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='299479' first='Brennan' last='Saxe'] (Fremd) ATH. 6'3, 170 lbs.   Off the bat, Fremd's [player_tooltip player_id='299479' first='Brennan' last='Saxe'] has intriguing size as a WR/DB hybrid, earned All-Conference and All-Area HM honors last fall after posting 55 catches for 755 yards and 6 TDs + 5 INTs, and is a three-sport athlete who also excels in basketball and track for the Vikings. The tape makes things even sweeter, as Saxe was in his second year starting on varsity in 2022, and demonstrates the potential to be a D1 prospect on either side of the ball. As a WR, tons of speed, the length to both show off a huge catch radius as well as slip through tackle attempts at his lower body, shake at the LOS in his releases, and vertical ability that helps him high point the ball over DBs outstretched hands and helmets. As a DB, Saxe is rangy and covers a ton of ground when he breaks on the football and has some very exciting hits and PBUs to open his DB highlights up. He can sink his hips and change direction well for a taller DB and plays the ball well from his CB or S spot just like when he's at WR. I am very interested to see where colleges think he best project to, because boy oh boy does this kid have game on both sides of the ball. Fremd has a baller on their hands!

Only two articles left in our 2025 rankings update coverage for the Great State of Illinois! We've covered the update's biggest stock-risers, hardest hitters, top unoffered standouts, and top offensive watchlist players to know (defense is up next), and despite the number of prospects we've highlighted and broken down, there's still some stud rising juniors who haven't received any attention and more than deserving of some love. In an effort to include some of my favorite names and faces from the 2025 class, PRzIL is putting together a miscellaneous feature naming some superlatives from the rising juniors in the Land of Lincoln's Top-150 rankings. All these kids are ballers and have bright futures ahead of them as college football prospects and players, let's get to know them below.