PrepRedzoneIL 2024 Rankings Update: Top Uncommitted
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It has been both an honor and a privilege to lead this latest update cycle of the PrepRedzoneIL rankings. The Land of Lincoln is one of the top producers of high school football talent in the Midwest as well as…
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Continue ReadingIt has been both an honor and a privilege to lead this latest update cycle of the PrepRedzoneIL rankings. The Land of Lincoln is one of the top producers of high school football talent in the Midwest as well as the United States, and with my wife and her family being born-and-bred Chicago natives, and having spent a few years in the Windy City myself, I am very much invested in the futures of Illinois prep football players and the recruiting scene itself. As a scout, taking over on a new state is a professional challenge that I was very much up to the task for, and throughout the course of these 2026, 2025, and 2024 updates, I’ve very much enjoyed immersing myself in the programs, traditions, and histories of Illinois high schools from Rockford to Belleville, and every in between. After a ton of hard work, including hours of watching film, ranking & reranking athletes, and doing my due diligence on the research end, the new Top-200 is here for the class of 2024, and it is absolutely stacked with talent at every position on the gridiron. To kick off our ensuing update coverage, PRzIL is highlighting the top remaining uncommitted rising seniors from the talent-rich ’24 class, and boy is there some heavy hitters left on the board. Let’s dig in.
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Undoubtedly the #1 uncommitted 2024 in the Land of Lincoln, 6′, 185 lb. East St. Louis safety Leontre Bradford Leontre Bradford 6’0″ | 185 lbs | DB East St. Louis | 2024 State IL has earned offers from Arkansas, Mizzou, Purdue, Ball State, Indiana, Syracuse, Minnesota, Oregon, Louisville, Michigan State, UNLV, Wisconsin (old staff), Arkansas State, Illinois, Ole Miss, Miami (OH), and Iowa State dating back to February of 2022. However, things seem to be narrowing down for the athletic Flyers DB, as Bradford took a lone official visit to West Lafayette and the Boilermakers, multiple unofficials to Mizzou, and plans to visit Arkansas during the fall as well, according to 247Sports. As the old recruiting adage goes: follow the visits, so it looks like Purdue is out in front right now if I had to guess. His teammate, 2024 ESL WR Jesse Watson Jesse Watson 5’8″ | 155 lbs | WR East St. Louis | 2024 State IL , is also committed to Purdue, so keep that in mind when trying to predict the outcome of this one. Bradford is versatile, and an especially strong run defender who can both blitz and cover man-to-man out of the slot and support the run inside the box. He diagnoses and gets upfield quickly, can change direction well and takes good angles to the football, and is a strong tackler at the contact point. I also like how he can flip his hips and defend the MOF in coverage, and he’s patient and controlled when playing the ball in the air to force INTs and PBUs. Also has a knack for forcing fumbles and getting the ball on the ground. Bradford generally reads the field well and has a balanced, versatile skillset from the safety position and excels in run support. Whoever lands him is getting a stud!
One of the most popular 2024s in the state when talking overall quantity of offers, 6’3, 260 lb. DL Mikeshun Beeler Mikeshun Beeler 6’3″ | 260 lbs | DL Simeon | 2024 State IL comes out of Chicago Public League powerhouse Simeon and holds 27 Division 1 offers from programs all over the country. Led by P5 offers from the likes of Arizona State, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue, and Texas A&M, Beeler also holds 14 FBS offers and seven FCS offers to possess one of the most diverse offer lists in Illinois. This summer, he’s taken officials to Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan, and has also visited Bowling Green and Cincinnati, and with some of his P5 offers coming very recently, I think it’s safe to say Beeler’s recruitment is still up in the air. Colorado is still recruiting him hard, and he earned his B1g offer from Purdue in person after a camp performance to kickstart June, so don’t be surprised if the Boilermakers get a visit as well. His stock is very much on the rise, and he could see his current Top-30 ranking climb even higher come next update once his senior tape starts to get released, especially if he can continue his eye-catching production with Simeon. Last fall, Beeler posted 77 tackles, 21 TFLs, 10 sacks, and six FFs while helping the Wolverines to a 12-1 season and city championship with big wins coming over Fenwick, Morgan Park, Bolingbrook, Wheaton-Warrenville South, and Kenwood Academy. Simeon has seen more than their fair share of top-tier football talent come through their program, and you can bet your butt they know how to develop and prepare their players for the next level, so Beeler is an exciting and must-know uncommitted 2024 who projects well to the college level along the DL. Excellent hand usage, a good blend of power, bend, and twitch, and can produce from multiple spots on a defensive line and from a three or two-point stance. He’s an obviously athletic DL at his size, with strength, a high-effort mentality, and a variety of moves and counters to beat blocks in the run or pass game. The hand usage is particularly impressive. Must-watch recruitment going forward. I would not want to have to match up against Simeon’s DL this fall.
Kenwood Academy’s 2023 roster is filled to the brim with FBS talent, something PRzIL will highlight in a future article this week, but of the many standouts soon to be stepping into college football locker rooms, 5’11, 180 lber. Mako Grant Mako Grant 5’11” | 185 lbs | ATH Kenwood Academy | 2024 State IL very much holds his own, especially given the fact that he’s still uncommitted. A standout performer at several major offseason camps during the spring and summer, Grant could project to either RB or DB at the next level, with a recent offer from Oregon on May 16th coming as a RB. Grant also holds offers from Buffalo, Arizona State, Louisville, Wyoming, Illinois State, Akron, Western Michigan, Bowling Green State, Ball State, Marshall, and West Virginia coming in 2023 and a B1G Nebraska offer from the ‘Huskers old staff coming in late November of 2022. Not a lot of news concerning visits or interest coming from Grant’s side, so I can’t give you much insight there, but Oregon did get a recent commitment from a RB out of Washington DC, so that may impact how committable that Ducks offer is now. Grant undoubtedly has game though, and in addition to being one of the hardest hitters in the state, he’s fast, strong, physical, and dynamic. Posted 64 carries for 547 yards (8.5 YPC) and 6 TDs and 64 tackles and 3 FFs defensively, and showed off vision, burst, contact balance, and decisiveness. Defensively, he diagnoses, triggers, and closes on the football very quickly, and as mentioned, has some eye-popping boom at the contact point. Offensively, he can beat tackle attempts in a variety of fashions and brings an aggressive mentality to the RB position that can break down a defense over four quarters. Very dynamic on both sides of the ball and overall. Still a lot of unknowns in his recruitment, so PRzIL will be eagerly following this one and giving you guys detailed updates as they come.
Another Kenwood Academy 2024 that makes up their FBS-rich offer going into the fall, 5’11, 185 lb. ATH Ethan Middleton Ethan Middleton 5’11” | 185 lbs | ATH Kenwood Academy | 2024 State IL saw his recruitment kick off early in his career when the Penn State Nittany Lions became his first offer way back in December of 2021. 2022 was quiet for Middleton on the recruiting front, but things really picked back up in 2023 when Mizzou offered in April, which prompted Syracuse, Middle Tennessee State, Marshall, and Kent State offers. He also took unofficials to Mizzou and Louisville back in April as well. Like aforementioned teammate Grant, Middleton performed well and turned heads at some major offseason camps this spring and summer, so the film and in-person evals align well and both are sure to excite the potential suitors on his offer list. Middleton was CCL powerhouse St. Rita’s RB last fall, where he demonstrated a versatile skillset out of the backfield that included balance, good hands and route running capability, burst, and some exhilarating juice in 1-on-1 situations with would-be tacklers (see his hurdle around 1:20 into his junior tape). There were some potentially big-time runs where he failed to finish, so if he’s improved on that speed and finishing ability as a senior I can see more P5 opportunities coming his way. However, his pass-catching ability on both downfield routes and screens is a major and hard-to-find asset, as is his elusiveness in 1-on-1 situations. I CANNOT WAIT to see him with Kenwood Academy this fall. You’ll be seeing me on their sidelines this fall.
Highlights
One of the most electric RBs in the Land of Lincoln, Kankakee speedster Tony Phillips Tony Phillips 5’7″ | 160 lbs | RB Kankakee | 2024 State IL Jr. has real-deal speed (10.54c 100M, 22.04 200M) and holds offers from Kent State, UNC-Charlotte, Arkansas, Alabama A&M, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Campbell, UMass, Tennessee, Syracuse, and FAU. However the Tennessee and Syracuse offers came in 2021 and his Arkansas offer came in June of 2022, so things have been pretty quiet on the recruiting front in 2023 and Phillips Jr. hasn’t reported any visits or other recruiting news since March. The Kankakee High School and former Bishop McNamara standout’s senior tape is going to be of massive importance, and I could see some significant news coming out on his recruiting front this fall. There’s still some runway left in this recruitment, but Phillips Jr. is doing his part on the field, as the junior tape is filled with speed, burst, vision, sudden cuts, and did I mention speed? The kid can fly, and the track speed absolutely shows up on the gridiron, where he scoots by defenders and pursuers going all-out with seeming ease. He can take advantage of slight holes in a defense, and is capable of creating his own as well, and in addition to his burst I really enjoy his extra gear of pace when he he gets to the open field and is looking to pull away from defenders. The suddenness, quick feet, and balance are an added bonus. Someone is going to land a gamebreaker with rare speed to their RB room, but I think we have a little while until we figure out who.
Highlights
Coming out of the always-loaded Glen Ellyn area and the Glenbard system of high school football programs, Glenbard West’s 5’10, 175 lb. offensive weapon Julius Ellens Julius Ellens 5’10” | 165 lbs | ATH Glenbard West | 2024 State IL is an accomplished and playmaking RB & WR holding a solid list of offers going into the fall of his senior year. The likes of Indiana State, Old Dominion, New Hampshire, Navy, Fordham, Kansas State, Army, Air Force, Illinois State, and Eastern Michigan have offered up, and with Kansas State being his lone P5 offer right now, I’d keep an eye on the Wildcats in this one. Obviously, it depends on if the offer is committable still or not, but looking at the Wildcats 2024 commits, they have one RB and an ATH (most likely will play LB) in the class, with no WRs verbaled right now, so Ellens still may be in the mix in KState’s 2024 recruiting class. However, there are no visits or recruiting tidbits to use as insight, so things are still up in the air for Ellens and his talent. A First Team All-State, 2x All-Conference, First Team All-Area, and Conference OPOY pick, Ellens displays speed, a shifty running style with natural shake that keeps defenders on their heels when trying to square him up, good vision that sees the cutback well, and impressive hands & route running out of the backfield, out of the slot, or on the perimeter. I also like his strong lower body and eye-catching contact balance for his size. He posted 224 carries for 1,589 yards and 30 TDs with ZERO fumbles in 2022, as well as 20 receptions for 480 yards, and has some solid reps on the defensive side of the ball to boot. PRzIL can definitely see and agree with KState on their offer to Ellens and would be pumped to see him play at the P5 level.
Highlights
Our first offensive lineman on the list, Sterling High School’s 6’7, 260 lber. Lucas Austin Lucas Austin 6’7″ | 250 lbs | OL Sterling | 2024 State IL has P5-worthy size and brings an accomplished basketball background with a ton of accolades on the hardwood as a power forward. In 2023, Austin has earned offers from Dartmouth, MSU-Mankato, Army, Eastern Michigan, Yale, Eastern Illinois, Columbia, Northern Iowa, Air Force, Miami of Ohio, Illinois State, Northern Illinois, and Southern Illinois, with EMU receiving an official visit and the University of Virginia eyeing him, his progress, and his skillset closely. The lateral agility and body control from his basketball game show up on his junior football film, and with a frame that provides length and a ton of room to fill in, he’s got the chance to really blow up in a collegiate S&C program. Additionally, he’s strong at the initial contact point as well as a finisher, is bendy in his stance and pad level, and is a high effort player as both a blocker and along the defensive line, where he can pursue out to the edge and run down ball carriers behind the LOS. Also shows some experience working to the second level, pulling and working laterally across the LOS, and in pass pro. Overall, there’s a noticeable amount of potential and athleticism in his frame and skillset and Austin is firmly on P5 watch this summer and into the fall.
Highlights
Call De La Salle Institute a Cold War power, because the Meteors have some explosive weaponry going into the fall. Led by rising senior David Coffey David Coffey 6’2″ | 190 lbs | DB De La Salle Institute | 2024 State IL , a 6’2, 190 lb. WR/DB/return specialist who holds offers from Western Illinois, Illinois State, Kent State, Howard, Indiana State, and Eastern Illinois. During my ranking process, I marked Coffey as one of the fastest players in the state who I encountered while grinding film for the update, and his track times back up the tape, as he posted a 10.98 100M at the IHSA 2A track & field state championships in May to go along with a 22.86 200M as well. Honestly, I think he’s a bit under-recruited as of right now, as his film is impressive, showing off an athlete capable of pulling off explosive reps in all three phases that most prospects simply aren’t capable of. He’s especially imposing as a returner, where his vision, top-end speed, and quickness helps him cut completely back against the grain, take advantage of small gaps in a coverage team, and easily evade tackle attempts in space. Coffey can drop his hips and pull off powerful cuts before quickly getting back up to full speed, is sudden, shifty, and strong through contact, and utilizes his stiff arm with lethal intention. He has some big-time reps against high quality competition (check out his Brother Rice game) and is a natural playmaker with the ball in hand. Coffey posted 1,400 AP yards and 8 TDs last fall and is poised to break those stats in 2023.
The Chicago Public League is stacked with skill position talent going into 2023, and the Morgan Park Mustangs are particularly packed with athletes as we approach the fall. Of the many standouts, rising senior Chris Durr Chris Durr 5’11” | 160 lbs | WR Morgan Park | 2024 State IL Jr. more than holds his own, as the 5’11, 160 lber. was named First Team All-State and First Team All-City after posting 51 receptions for 1,013 yards and 16 TDs as a junior. He currently holds offers from Wyoming, Fordham, Army, UPenn, Eastern Michigan, Louisville, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, New Mexico State, and Western Illinois, and has caught attention from the media and college programs for both his 7v7 and in-season accomplishments. Durr Jr. works best out of the slot, and is shifty both at the top of the route and after the catch, balanced and generally dangerous after the catch, and tracks the ball very well in the air. His top-end speed is also noteworthy and eye-catching, and he’s a natural at beating press-man in his releases at the LOS. It’s a twitched-up, splash play skillset in an athletic and still-growing frame that, when combined with his route running ability, will be very dangerous at the next level. He’s going to be a force in Chicago this fall.
John Hersey High School has some heavyweight prospects and players for this upcoming season, and leading the skill positions is All-State selection Carson Grove Carson Grove 5’11” | 185 lbs | ATH Hersey | 2024 State IL , a 5’11, 170 lb. standout in all three phases. Last fall, Grove posted 40 catches for 861 yards (21.5 YPC) and 9 TDs, 10 rushes for 84 yards and 2 TDs, seven kickoffs for 279 yards and 2 TDs, eight punt returns for 259 yards and 2 TDs, and 30 tackles, 4 INTs, and 4 PBUs. Now that’s some production! The three-phase baller has a healthy list of offers that includes Yale, Princeton, Navy, Northern Iowa, Dartmouth, Bucknell, Wofford, New Hampshire, Lehigh, North Dakota State, Fordham, Kent State, Lafayette, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Illinois State, Indiana State, Central Michigan, and Akron, all since early February of 2023. The Arlington Heights product sees the field well and makes plays no matter where he’s at, and reads, diagnoses, and makes decisive decisions quickly. He’s got strong COD skills, which come in handy with ball in hand or when reading and reacting from his safety spot, creating separation at the LOS or in his routes, and when making people miss as a returner. I also like how Grove triggers and flies upfield in run support and closes space to get into the hips of a ball carrier, plays the ball well in the air, and he’s got the top-end speed and elusiveness to create splash plays offensively. There’s a ton he can do on the gridiron and I would honestly be very excited about his future whether he ends up in the MAC, Ivy, or Missouri Valley, based on his current offers. I could see his stock rising during the fall as well. Keep an eye on both Hersey and Carson Grove Carson Grove 5’11” | 185 lbs | ATH Hersey | 2024 State IL this fall!
In terms of depth and physical stature, the LB position group in the PRzIL 2024 class is especially strong, and the top remaining uncommitted linebacker goes to Yorkville’s 6’2, 225 lber. Ben Alvarez Ben Alvarez 6’2″ | 225 lbs | LB Yorkville | 2024 State IL . A team captain and two-way starter, Alvarez has one of my all-time favorite traits in a football recruit, and that is an accomplished wrestling background. The ‘backer is the defending Illinois 3A Class 220 lb. state champ in exciting fashion to put a stamp on his 42-8 junior campaign, and he’s also a highly sought-after football prospect who currently holds offers from Harvard, Colgate, Princeton, Akron, Yale, UPenn, Army, Dartmouth, Air Force, Columbia, Lindenwood, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan, and with a lot of those colleges also possessing strong wrestling programs, I’d bet he’s being recruited in both sports from a couple of these potential suitors. Alvarez posted 50 tackles, 9 TFLs, a sack, a pick-six, a fumble recovery TD, and 22 carries for 123 yards and 2 TDs + four receptions for 60 yards offensively. Can slip into passing lanes in the flats and hook/curls, finds space when shooting gaps as a blitzer, can run the alley and pursue out to the edge on faster ball carriers while closing quickly, and is a solid route runner and pass catcher as a fullback with physicality and balance after the catch. Alvarez will also bring the boom when given the opportunity. Bright future in either sport no matter what he decides, but I’d be stoked to have this kid in my LB room if I was a college coach.
Highlights
Representing the powerhouse CCL and the defending 8A state champion Loyola Academy, who won their 4th state championship in 2022, OLB Ethan Hogg Ethan Hogg 6’4″ | 220 lbs | LB Loyola Academy | 2024 State IL has an enticing 6’4, 220 lb. frame with length and a ton of room to fill in in a college S&C program. He’s also a good athlete who posted an electronic 4.69 40, 4.30 short-shuttle, 34″ vert, and 10′ broad jump during the Ramblers‘ spring testing day in late May. Colleges have taken notice, as Hogg holds offers from New Hampshire, Marshall, Fordham, Lafayette, Army, Kent State, Lindenwood, and Ohio, all of which came in 2023. He’s also visited Western Michigan, Army, F0rdham, Kent State, and Illinois unofficially during the spring, and has camped at Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois during June. There’s still a lot of time left in this recruitment, and the senior tape will be a big gauge of how things continue to develop, but Hogg set a good foundation with his 2022 junior film that displayed a versatile defender who can line up as a standup EDGE or from a traditional off-ball OLB role. He’s got some bend off the edge, does a good job of keeping his feet active and staying patient when tracking a ball carrier before closing quickly, can beat blocks with power, and has good COD skills that help him when blitzing, executing stunts, and tracking the ball. Hogg’s body control, physicality, positional versatility, athleticism and absurd length are great signs for his collegiate future and we’re excited to keep following this recruitment as it continues to develop.
We’re staying in the CCL and heading straight south to Brother Rice and their massive OT Conor Kenzinger Conor Kenzinger 6’7″ | 280 lbs | OL Brother Rice | 2024 State IL . Measuring in at an eye-catching 6’7, 285 pounds, Kenzinger holds offers from Bowling Green, New Hampshire, Eastern Illinois, Colgate, Eastern Michigan, Army, Indiana State, and Marshall, and is a name to watch as P5’s continue their always-ongoing search for OL prospects, a position group that regularly is recruited later into the cycle and especially during the fall season. He’s also visited Miami (OH), Ohio,Western Michigan, St. Thomas, and Eastern Michigan, so keep a close eye on the EMU Eagles in this recruitment as well. He’s got a frame that could hold a ton more good weight, has good length and active feet, looks bendy for a larger OT, demonstrates good strength and pop at the initial contact point, and can work laterally across the LOS or work to the second level with efficiency. He moves very well for his size, and I also love the edge and nasty side Kenzinger plays with. Still raw, but is newer to football, so the ceiling is very high and he’s a good athlete at his size. I’d keep a close eye on this one if you’re looking for potential P5 OL sleepers.
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