IL’25s Rising on the Recruiting Trail Early this Offseason pt.1
This is one of the best times of the year for a guy in my profession. In addition to the summer camp szn, the ending of that December to January NCAA Dead Period opens the floodgates for D1 programs to…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis is one of the best times of the year for a guy in my profession. In addition to the summer camp szn, the ending of that December to January NCAA Dead Period opens the floodgates for D1 programs to begin to offer, recruit, and chase the on-deck graduating class whose turn in the spotlight has finally come to fruition. One of the many reasons this transition period from class to class (in this case 2024 to 2025) is so exciting is that you get to see how much depth there is in a graduation classes or state’s talent pool, not to mention getting to see these young men’s dreams begin to come true. It’s safe to say this 2025 crop of Land of Lincoln prospects is deep, and talented and will see many 18-year-olds colleges paid for. Whether it’s straight to the P5 recruiting scene or seeing some FCS and FBS offers roll in early, which is always a good sign of your potential as those regional FCS/FBS suitors really recruit the state well and trust their evaluation process, we’re seeing some exciting Illinois products Rising on the Recruiting Trail Early this Offseason. Lucky for you PrepRedzoneIL has the must-know names at the forefront of the recruiting trail for your eyes only.
—
Very much a known commodity heading into both the 2023 season of action and the now-underway ensuing offseason, Marist RedHawk DL Brad Fitzgibbon is undoubtedly one of the best DL in the state’s loaded 2025 class, but that doesn’t mean he can’t continue to raise his stock. Coming into the season, Fitzgibbon held offers from seven FBS/MAC programs, an FCS offer from Old Dominion, and a P5 offer from Arizona State, and after Toledo joined the fold during the fall, his recruiting stock has really climbed early this offseason. Since the 26th of January, the likes of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, Iowa State, UConn, and Kansas have put their hats in the ring, and an early visit to Madtown this past weekend spells out good things for Fitzgibbon and the Badgers mutual relationship. Playing in the talented CCL-ESCC Green, Fitzgibbon has had his way with high-quality competition, primarily as a 3T, where power is the name of his game and he can overpower smaller blockers at the contact point. The 6’3, 280 lber. was a very productive run defender in 2023 thanks to his good get-off, strong hands and punch, and little bit of twitch for a big interior body. With an effective long arm and the ability to quickly shed blocks once he gets his hands on an opponent, Fitzgibbon is also laterally smooth and explosive, shows off a good motor, and is athletic enough to be used as a QB spy in a multitude of different roles and assignments. He’s a fluid, mobile, and athletic DL prospect with good size at a premier position in football, and when combined with his success and utter disruption cause against high level competition, plus the nationally-renowned tradition the Marist coaches have continued to uphold, and you have a skillset that spells out Saturday and potentially Sunday success. No wonder the P5 offers are rolling in. Keep an eye on this recruitment the rest of the spring!
Running back is arguably the most exciting position in all of football, and the RB position produces some incredibly exciting prep prospects that make scouting the position as fun as it gets in the profession. Illinois is far from thin in electric RBs in their 2025 class and Richards High School’s 5’10, 190 lber. Myles Mitchell is leading the pack of Land of Lincoln ball-carriers on the gridiron and recruiting trail so far this school year. After earning First Team All-State, SSC Red POY, and All-Conference honors in 2023 thanks to his 1,800 all-purpose yard & 21 total TD junior campaign, Mitchell is off to the races once the dead period was lifted and has earned six FBS and FCS offers with Akron, Illinois State, Central Michigan, Ball State, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois all joining the fray for his talent. As mentioned in the intro, MAC offers, specifically in Illinois, are a very good sign of a prospects recruitment continuing to develop and increase, as the MAC programs who recruit the state do so very thoughtfully and skillfully and don’t hesitate in their evaluations of Land of Lincoln talent. Mitchell is quite popular in that regard, and he’ll be a fun name to continue to watch as we track which juniors are bound to enter that hard-to-achieve P5 threshold of recruiting.
Myles has noticeably improved on his speed in between his sophomore and junior tape, and he was a homerun back in 2023 who went almost three minutes before he was tackled in his junior film. Able to finish big runs if he’s still truckin’ and upright at the second level, Mitchell displays good vision, utilizes slight angle adjustments and acceleration to burn or get would-be tacklers off-balance or out of their pursuit angles, and he’s strong enough to run through arm tackles and can get back up to top speed quickly if he’s momentarily stopped or hampered during a carry. Overall he’s speedy and shifty, sets up defenders in embarrassing fashion at the tackle point, and can utilize an effective “B button” with good balance overall and through contact. With good hands out of the backfield as both a route runner in the screen game, Mitchell brings a balanced and playmaking skillset to the table as a prospect who checks all the boxes of an FBS back. I think that speed will have to be verified for Mitchell to continue to rise to that next echelon of recruiting, but he shows speed on film as a junior, so PRzIL will just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Boy, there was a lot of P5 talent on the Carl Sandburg OL in 2023. I personally love it when a kid earns a big-time offer that’s right for him and he wastes no time in jumping on the opportunity and locking down that commitment class spot, and LT Matt Marek is a great example of this happening in the Illinois 2025 class. An obvious leader in the loaded 2025 Illinois crop of OL prospects going into the season, Marek has been earning offers since his sophomore year and came into the offseason with offers from Akron, Miami (OH), Toledo, Ball State, Western Michigan, Coastal Carolina, and Northern Illinois, with the last three offers coming during the midst of his junior season with the Eagles. Once the dead period was lifted however, his stock continued to rise, and after a Bowling Green State offer rolled in, Indiana became his first P5 offer on January 28th, and three days later Marek jumped on the committable B1G offer and will rep the Hoosiers in college.
IU got a good one in the 6’4, 285 lb. LT, and they got him early too, which should help coax a talented QB to Bloomington with the sell of a stud, blue-collar OL already signed into watching his back. Marek’s footwork, balance, and bend immediately pop off the tape, and the junior can adjust and change direction well at his size, plus possesses a frame that can hold a mean 300+ pounds and maintain its mobility. The LT is a nasty finisher who makes you feel the full weight of him if he gets you out of position, and he’s visibly communicative and able to read and adjust to blitz schemes mid-play with his fellow OL. He’s more comfortable and experienced in pass protection than the majority of prep OTs I come across with PRZ, and he’s patient in his pass set in both his punch and vertical drop and can finish from pass pro just as easily as run-blocking situations. I could watch him pass block all day, and he’s not shy about showing off his skills in his junior tape either. Marek’s big pros are his technical superiority and consistency in his technique, as well as his athletic ability at his size. I don’t see a lot of high school OTs this comfortable in pass pro as a junior, and Marek is overall a promising B1G commit who Indiana is getting in with as an early commit. He has/had the chance to be a lot more popular on the trail if his recruitment played out. It’ll be fun seeing the Carl Sandburg junior as the lynchpin of that 2025 Hoosier class.
Jake Stanish
Jake Stanish
The Naperville school system didn’t need any more FBS/P5 talent, but Naperville Central’s stud DE Jake Stanish is here to tell you that the rich get richer and the Redhawks now have a junior DE knocking at the door of a P5 scholarship. The Redhawks OL/DL must have had a blast in 2023 going against each other, and if you’re familiar with the phrase “iron sharpens iron”, I definitely think it applies here. Troy Kashul, Daniel Conway, Grant Ellinger Grant Ellinger 6’4″ | 270 lbs | OL Naperville Central | 2024 State IL , Maverick Ohle Maverick Ohle 6’2″ | 245 lbs | DL Naperville Central | 2024 State IL , Christian Kuta Christian Kuta 6’3″ | 230 lbs | LB Naperville Central | 2024 State IL , and of course, the now-highlighted Jake Stanish were a menacing group who checked the size, talent, and physicality boxes, and they no doubt improved each other’s game during this past fall. Now, it’s Stanish’s time to shine, and I have to admit that the 6’4, 230 lber. has one of the more exciting, aggressive, and eye-catching highlight tapes I’ve seen watching Illinois film this offseason. Right now, Stanish holds offers from Akron, Toledo, Northern Illinois, and Kent State, but the tape screams for P5 recruitment and I’m very excited to see where his recruiting journey takes him.
A traditional hand-in-the-dirt 5T, Stanish came into the season pretty much completely under the radar, but he’s burst onto the recruiting scene in the 2025 class and should see his stock continue to climb thanks to his physical talents and outright high-level blend of speed and power. Possessing an explosive get-off that can backpedal blockers into ball carriers for highlight-reel TFLs before runs can even develop, Stanish can also ragdoll OTs off him like they’re JV competition, and displays an obvious hair-on-fire motor, flashes of outright physical dominance, and a go-hard playstyle that shows him as the most fired up player on the gridiron. At 230 lbs., he folds QBs when he gets a clean shot on them, and Stanish also demonstrates impressive twitch and bend necessary to be disruptive at the top of the arch and off the edge as a pass rusher. His impressive breakout junior tape shows a 6’4, 230 lber. who can take over a game from the DE spot and flash reps and sequences as the best player on the field, and there are times he’s simply at another level of strength and speed than the competition. If I’m in a P5 recruiting department I’m bumping this dude’s name to the top of the list.
Representing The Brook, 6’2, 185 lb. safety Tavarez Edwards’ sophomore film made a big impression on me during rankings update time last spring and powered him into Top-5 DB status and a #26 overall ranking for a prolific introduction to the 2025s recruiting scene. Edwards has done a great job of continuing and elevating his game and skillset into some more impressive junior films from 2023, and college programs are taking notice. After earning an early Miami (OH) offer at the start of last summer’s camp szn, Eastern Michigan and Ball State have since gotten in the mix, and I don’t see the increasing list of suitors slowing down anytime soon.
Playing against high-level competition and with good size for a projected college safety, Edwards’s range, versatility, instincts, and overall speed help him play like an old-fashioned, do-it-all safety who is all over the field doing a lot of things well through four quarters of a ball game. He’s a rangy, ball-hawking MOF defender with a nose for the ball in both run & pass defense and can lay Brian Dawkins-esque hits as a FS on unsuspecting WRs trying to stretch the field. The 185 lber. runs the alley well and is a good cut tackler who can take out ball carriers at their lower body, and he’s got the strength to get off blocks and make plays around the LOS when playing as a box defender. Overall, he’s a strong and comfortable 1-on-1 tackler in space and as the last line of defense, and he’s just as effective in pass coverage as well. Edwards gets out of his breaks explosively and can be disruptive on 3-step and shorter/more intermediate passing concepts impressively, and I like his makeup and overall speed in coverage. He’s comfortable when the ball is in the air, possesses ball skills at the catch point, and shows off a ton of overall instincts, as he plays and processes quickly, confidently, and effectively. I love watching him play and he reminds me of some of my favorite safeties to watch over the years. The gridiron is entirely accessible thanks to his skillset and you’re going to see him make plays everywhere when going up against The Brook. More offers are coming for this young man.
Brendan Loftus
Brendan Loftus
One of the most recognizable and tradition-rich prep football programs in Illinois, it seems like Loyola Academy produces monstrous and high-ceiling high school football prospects cycle after cycle, and produce them well. Coming off a 14-0 2023 campaign that saw the Ramblers win another 8A state championship, Loyola Academy had a potential freak of a pass-catcher aiding them in the undefeated campaign in 6’7, 215 lb. TE Brendan Loftus, who has started to gain some serious steam on the recruiting trail once the new year rolled around. After Toledo offered first on the 8th, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green State, Ball State, Akron, Illinois State, UConn, and Western Michigan have followed up with offers, and with the athleticism, high-upside, and matchup nightmare Loftus brings to the table as a TE prospect, he’s got the chance to be one of the most popular 2025s in the Land of Lincoln once it’s all said and done.
With an obvious basketball background, Loftus primarily worked as a flexed out TE pass-catching option, but also lined up as a wing and brings a really fun skillset to the table in the pass game. Able to find space and holes in zone coverage naturally, stack DBs with ease after getting a step or two on them in coverage, and utilize a wide route tree and a ton of different TE usages in the pass game, Loftus brings all the best qualities of a hooper to the gridiron. He uses his size to really take advantage of his obviously huge catch radius and ability to win contested catches, and possesses soft hands, solid route running technique, and fight after the catch. Also a willing blocker when asked who will get a little fiesty, Loftus‘ size and length, matchup threat as a pass catcher, dynamic ability at his size, and combination of athleticism/coordination/quickness create a noticeably high ceiling as a collegiate TE prospect who we see dominate Saturdays and create NFL buzz at the next level year after year. Don’t find 6’7 TEs who can move like this and bring so much juice to the pass game very often. I’d be surprised if a P5 doesn’t get involved soon.
Michael O’Connell
Michael O’Connell
Speaking of untapped potential and high upside, Glenbard West’s eye-catching 6’7, 270 lb. OT Michael O’Connell just got done playing his FIRST year of football. Yes, his first year ever playing football. It doesn’t get more raw than that, and when you combine the newness with the P5-worthy size and length and you have a kid who could blossom into an absolute beast at the next level. The Glenbard school system and Glen Ellyn area has been incredibly fruitful on the recruiting trail long before I was playing high school ball in the early 2010s and O’Connell is yet another monster addition to their recruiting line and tradition. The combination of size, frame, and newness to the sport has to make a potential collegiate S&C coordinator drool with excitement, and his game gives you a lot to be excited about in its own right.
O’Connell shows noticeable length and knows how to use it, stunning DL and LBs when he times his punch out well and making it hard to disengage from or work half a man when he locks out and extends those arms. The 270 lber. has good reps against the top DEs in both Illinois and Missouri last fall, is a bruising, hard-nosed run-blocking RT who can work to the second level effectively and execute balanced lateral movements to set the edge or complete reach blocks of interior defenders. O’Connell is very solid in the physicality department in particular, and with an offseason of work in the weight room currently underway, he’s got the chance to be one of the biggest and best blocking forces in the state next fall. Already a P5 recruit after Indiana offered two days and Northwestern offered on the 23rd, O’Connell has also heard from Kent State, Miami (OH), and Ball State, and he’s got one of the brightest futures and highest ceilings of almost any junior in the class. Must-know name already taking over the recruiting scene.
The top-end of the Morgan Park 2025 class is as talented as it gets and holds its own with programs all around the state and region, and as a testament to its depth we’re seeing a junior explode into the certified P5 recruiting ranks with little to no steam entering the offseason. Apparently, they’re just built different in the Mustangs program, and if you don’t believe it, check out the rise of 6’2, 170 lb. DB/WR Jahmare Washington. As mentioned, Washington had a fantastic junior season that didn’t get fully appreciated until the December-January Dead Period was recently lifted. The floodgates opening allowed a boatload of offers to come in quickly, with Central Michigan starting things off in early December and Miami (OH), Bowling Green State, Akron, Ball State, Western Michigan, Toledo, Northern Illinois, and Eastern Michigan all following up between January 21st and February 3rd. A lot of the time, we see that evolution and natural progression of FBS to eventual P5 suitors come over time and after some in-person meetings, but Washington’s size, film, and eye-popping athleticism, along with the prestige the Morgan Park program under Chris James has earned, saw the elevation to P5 talent happen quicker than most.
Only a day after EMU pulled the trigger, Wisconsin offered, which was followed by Iowa State and Indiana offers, and I can guarantee he’s not done hearing from P5s either. An early visit to Madtown last weekend bodes well for the Badgers chances early, and man did they do well trusting this eval, as Washington’s film, athleticism, and talent absolutely pop off the screen. A lockdown CB comfortable on an island and operating in both man and zone coverage, 6’2, Washington displays patient, smooth footwork and is overall comfortable working and covering while going backward, plus he’s laterally quick, has good hips, and shows very impressive burst out of his breaks and from a dead spot. He’s also patient when playing press-man at the LOS. In run support, I love how physical he is when attacking WRs attempting to block him out on the perimeter, and he put a couple of them on their butts thanks to his aggressive pop in 2023. Washington is equally as aggressive as a tackler, and I love how he triggers on the ball as a excitingly aggressive playmaker on either side of the ball. He comes in like a missile in run support, with completely balls-to-the-wall all-outness that ball carriers can barely react to, and I love how noticeable energy, confidence, and swag that you love to see from a potentially primetime perimeter defender. Washington is the real deal as a CB prospect and as a lover of DBs, I could watch his junior tape all day everyday. Wisconsin is making some impressive early moves in the 2025 Land of Lincoln class.
By gosh, Wheaton St. Francis was stacked to the brim with talent on their 2023 roster and their passing attack had to be the envy of competing programs all around the state. Led by now-Michigan State QB signee Alessio Milivojevic Alessio Milivojevic 6’1″ | 205 lbs | QB St. Francis | 2024 State IL , the receivers for the Spartans were allowed to freely and creatively put their skillsets on display and under some noteworthy eyes of college coaches and media staff. This is what happens when you have a stud prep QB, and it’s a WRs dream that 5’10, 170 lb. slot receiver Ian Willis took full advantage of in 2023. Slot receivers and their defenders are becoming more and more sought after in the college and pro games of football, and Willis has the speed, playmaking ability, and suddenness to really do damage at the next level in a high-powered offense. The likes of Marshall, Miami (OH), Bowling Green State, and Kent State agree with my early assessment of Willis and his potential and have all offered FBS scholarships to the junior so far, with tons of high-powered potential suitors waiting in the wings to get involved.
His 80 catch for 1,072 yards and 17 TD campaign was accentuated by his comfortability in stretching the field, ability to zoom by and between defenders while cutting at top speed impressively and effectively, and the pace and acceleration he comes off the LOS with. It’s a big mistake letting Willis release unimpeded, especially with how happy he is to act and succeed as a deep threat and how easily he can take the top off the defense and eat up 1-on-1 man coverage like it’s his breakfast cereal. The 5’10 WR is also smooth at the top of the route, explosive as a kick returner who can contribute in all three phases of the game, and is quick, balanced, and sudden after the catch who sent some would-be tacklers flying by him in cartoonish fashion last fall. A very productive junior season in a high-flying offense that can thrive with a big workload and when he’s given the chance to make plays, Willis is going to continue to heat up on the offseason recruiting trail and I believe getting that speed verified would be a valuable nugget in trying to project him as accurately as possible to the next level.
—