PrepRedzoneIL 2027 Rankings Drop: DL and LB Breakdown

Chugging along with our PrepRedzoneIL 2027 rankings coverage after covering QBs, RBs, ATHs, and WRs. Finally, we're onto defense, and boy are there some kids to be excited about on the tougher side of the ball. The DL is particularly stacked, with three players already holding FBS offers, including a P4 offeree, and the most upside of any position group in the entire class and with a ton of names looking like future P4 kids right now. The linebacker class is led by a big-time 'backer and prospect, but it's a thinner position group right now with a lot of time left for new names to break onto the scene and take over the LB rankings and overall big board. Enough introduction though, let's dig in. DL and LB 2027 rankings breakdown is below!   --   Defensive Line    You want to try and stay away from the use of the phrase "sure thing" in high school recruiting, but it's hard not to think of those two words with our current DL1 in the Illinois 2027 class. Coming out of a highly-competitive prep program in Brother Rice, Parks was dominant on both sides of the ball in non-varsity competition, already has high-major-worthy size, and showed he was a cut above the competition after going down to Champaign and earning his first P4 offer in front of the Fighting Illini staff at camp. Bowling Green State and Western Michigan had offered previously, so it's not like it was a secret that Parks was already a top-tier talent as a freshman, and you'd be a fool to still operate under the belief that kids aren't worth evaluating/offering until they've seen varsity action.   As a RG, he aggressively works to finish and is hard to disengage from, is a vicious puller with power and pop at the contact point, andshows noticeable get-off off the snap. Parks is balanced, controlled, and fluid in his movements, especially given the size and age, and he can combo and change direction in space and zone blocking schemes. As a DT, where he's going to make his money, Parks owns an explosive get-off, closes and pursues like a LB as opposed to a 285 lb. freshman lineman, and crushes QBs when he makes contact. He had led in his hands and keeps them active, is strong and slippery enough to beat double teams, and can tackle in space. Don't overthink this one, folks. Parks isn't leaving the top of the rankings anytime soon.     The most accomplished on-field performer of the current 2027 Illinois DL class, Montini Catholic's stud DE/DT [player_tooltip player_id='1334146' first='Namari' last='Anderson'] was a varsity starter on the CCL/ESCC-White squad that finished 9-4 in 2023. The 6'3, 265 lber. also competes in track and field as a thrower, and the freshman tape display a big-framed prospect who holds his weight well and looks like he has some length in his arms. Generally aligns as a 5T, but I can see a move inside to 3T and NG in the cards at some point in the future. Won a significant amount of reps due to his quick get-off, first step, and when working laterally down the LOS. Anderson displays active hand usage and can take advantage when he catches an OL off-balance or out of position and is a strong kid can long-arm and hold OTs at bay when he locks his arms out and extends. He owns a good motor that will clean up loose ball carriers and put in the dirty work in pursuit, is a strong tackler at the contact point, and absorbs contact well and can hold his gap through larger offensive line pressure. You gotta give him his props for the varsity success as a 14/15 year old, and he plays far above what his age would suggest. You'll be hearing a lot more about Anderson these next three years.     Despite coming in at #9, I think Nazareth Academy's massive 6'6, 265 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1335278' first='Luke' last='Injaychock'] still is one of the better bets to continue to rise up the rankings over the course of his high school. Yes, he didn't play varsity as a freshman and the tape is against non-varsity competition, but the Roadrunners won the IHSA 5A state title and Injaychock was a force on JV who looked like a man amongst boys in his freshman film. In terms of how I think you can contextualize a player's projection with these kind of traits against fellow peers with varsity experience, it's once again imperative you don't overthink it. Injaychock is in a similar spot to Rico Schreiber out of Marist, a PrepRedzoneNEXT Showcase MVP by the way, who checked every box besides varsity reps as a freshman and yet still became one of the most popular prospects in the Illinois 2026 class so far, as well as one of the first P4 offerees.   P4-worthy size, body control, and pure aggressiveness and physical dominance were the easy descriptors of his freshman season. Injaychock looks like he could project to either side of the ball in college, but his freshman tape shows some serious upside as a defensive lineman, where his explosive get-off, flexibility, and overwhelming size/strength/quickness/effort combination looked unstoppable at the JV level. He made TFLs with multiple OL hanging onto him for dear life, and displayed a good motor and knows how to use his length and sheer size advantage to his benefit when getting off blocks. As a RT, the 265 lber. is a mauler in the run game and is a brick wall in pass pro who doesn't even need to move his feet to bully would-be rushers. Looks ready-made for the varsity level, and with traits and size like this shining so early, Injaychock has all the makings of a P2, nationally-rated prospect. Potential blue-chip status will depend a lot on his sophomore year, however, so stay tuned!     Blue Island's Eisenhower High School is going to continue to hold a big chunk of the top-end rankings in Illinois going forward thanks to the promising and productive 2027 pass-rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1237966' first='Sincere' last='Harris'], our DL4 and #10 overall rising sophomore prospect. Harris broke onto the scene early in 2023, as he was a varsity starter in his first year of high school and was productive, posting 42 total tackles, 7 TFLs, and 4 sacks. Since the season he concluded, Harris took unofficial visits to Iowa, Northwestern, and Illinois, and the likes of Central Michigan, Miami (OH), and Ball State have offered early FBS opportunities. Excitedly, Harris has also put on 15 pounds of muscle since last winter, so look for him to bump up those numbers in 2024, especially after his 335x5 squat in early April.   Harris is a traditional 5T with length and a lean build that can add significant weight without slowing him down. He's strong enough to power through doubles, owns heavy hands and packs a punch when he puts his paws on an opponent, and uses those same strong, active hands, for effective hand-fighting and countering ability, and he can unlock his hips when beating OTs to their outside shoulder. There's some bend and lateral agility present, and I also like Harris' motor. Great foundation laid in his freshman campaign and I'm pumped to see how he builds on it after this productive offseason. More offers coming!     Yet another big-time freshman from the stacked-to-the-brim East St. Louis program down in Southern Illinois. Brown - in my opinion - is the best of the bunch right now, and he posted 27 tackles in 8 games of action while competing with one of the most athletic rosters in the Midwest in East St. Louis. A 6'1, 240 lber., Brown earned a Kent State offer in early May, as well as all the big names in the Flyers 2027 class, and he brings a ton of athleticism to the table as a DL prospect. Brown checks all of the boxes you could want from a 14/15-year-old iDL prospect, but it has to be said that the big x-factor and big indicator of his ceiling as a prospect will be his height and how much more he'll grow.   A 3T in the Flyers 3-4 defensive scheme, Brown is twitchy, strong, and a natural at shedding and disengaging from blocks. He displays a powerful punch that can move larger OGs and OTs when he extends and locks out his arms, and shows a good get-off and is slippery through double teams and can hold his gap against multiple blocks. The 240 lber. plays tight off OLs backside, scrapes and pursuers flat down the LOS as the backside end, and is impressive when he can use his twitch and quickness to work laterally across the LOS, especially in stunts and twists. The closing speed helps him finish plays in the backfield, and Brown is instinctive enough to get his hands up and into passing lanes when he knows he's not getting home on a three-step drop/quick game. His eye-catching pursuit speed is really spotlighted by an excellent rep around 1:45 into his tape, where he tracks down a WR screen 15 yards downfield past the LOS to dazzle with his effort, speed at his size, and fluid and functional athleticism. Not finding bodies who can carve out that big of a role on a roster like ESL's very often, much less a kid this athletic. Pay attention.     A player I was very excited to get some eyes on while grinding tape for the PrepRedzoneIL 2027 rankings drop, Lake Forest's [player_tooltip player_id='1335349' first='George' last='Holland'] more than lived up to the hype, recording a dominant and eye-catching freshman season in the non-varsity ranks of the Scouts. The big-time size shows up exactly how you'd want it to on tape, as Holland was easily one of the hardest hitters in the entire class and a versatile and productive EDGE prospect who screams P4 despite no varsity reps at this point in time. The 6'4, 225 lber. is a vicious tackler who gets the most out of every hit and has a couple of reps of him ragdolling ball carriers and spinning them hard into the turf in bone-crunching fashion. He easily shocks and sheds blocking attempts with good technique and overpowering strength for non-varsity competition, brings an eye-popping blend of speed and power off the edge at 6'4, 225, and changes direction smoothly and effectively in space. Holland closes with pace, pursues with leverage as an edge defender and has the speed to run down ball carriers to the sideline as a backside defender, and was an absolute hammer at the contact point. Holland played some off-ball LB and looked very capable of manning the position movement-wise. Flowed to the ball and could start/stop well, was rangy in defense, although EDGE is forsure his best spot, and he was overall a man amongst boys in 2023. Not comparing, but it's hard not to think about Rylie Mills here, as Holland looks like the next great Scouts DL and college prospect.     One of the bigger mysteries in the budding 2027 Land of Lincoln class of prospects, I don't know a lot about St. Patrick's 6'4, 275 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1335315' first='David' last='Folorunsho'] besides the fact that his freshman tape flashed non-varsity physical dominance and eye-popping athleticism for a 6'4, 275 lb. freshman defensive lineman. Northwestern hosted the DE, as well as some of his teammates, on an unofficial in April, but besides that, all we have to go off is the film. Obviously, there were some things going on behind the scenes that didn't allow Folorunsho to contribute to varsity, but that's far from a dealbreaker at this point in time, although I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on some updated film and/or information on one of the 2027 classes biggest potential stock and rankings riser.   Positionally versatile and lined up all over the DL, primarily as a standup EDGE or 3T, Folorunsho has a very intriguing rep of him shedding a block as a 3T, then running the alley like a pursing LB, tracking the hip, and start/stopping smoothly to adjust to the RBs potential cutback, which Folorunsho shuts down and then eats up, flinging the RB backward like a tackle dummy. Fluidity, body control, and a large and imposing 6'4, 275 lbs. generally equals scholarship and NIL money, so unless there's some major unknown or red flag I'm unaware of, this kid will be moving up the rankings and earning P4 attention soon. The closing speed and ability to tackle in space pop off the tape first, and Folorunsho is a hammer at the contact point whose hits I would not want to be on the receiving end of. An anchor in the middle of the defense who can easily shed blocks, hold his gap, and make tackles through contact between the tackles, the rising sophomore has a good rep of him retracing and running down a screen 40 yards downfield for a strong showing of speed and mobility at his size. Talk about upside, I'd be eagerly keeping tabs on this kid if I was a high-major college program.     Representing small town Coal City, an outer Chicagoland town of almost 6K NW of Braidwood and SE of Morris, DL8 [player_tooltip player_id='1120454' first='Emmett' last='Easton'] already has some big things going for him. A freshman starter as a 14/15-year-old, Easton posted 35 tackles and 7 TFLs as a defensive tackle, Easton also has one of my favorite traits in OL/DL prospects and is a good wrestler who posted 23 pins in his 29 wins from the 2023-24 season. Easton also got pulled aside and had a couple 1v1 chats with some Boston College coaches after his performance at their camp in early June, and he also competed at the North Central College mega camp and Illinois 7on7 camp.   Easton starts his freshman highlights off with a bang, breaking off from an attempted double team and running down a LB who found the sideline to halt a big play 15 yards downfield, and it's safe to say that he's mobile, balanced, quick, controlled, and plays fast. Easton does a good job of getting underneath blocks and shows some burst out of his stance and from a dead stop, displays a good get-off, and sheds blocks with his active hands, quick feet, and lateral agility. Easton will rock QBs when he gets opportunities, closes in a flash, and can tackle in space. Another prospect whose ceiling will be a bit dependent on how big he can get, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Coal City product climb up the rankings in time.     Perhaps the biggest darkhorse/unknown/potential stock riser in the entire 2027 rankings right now, Sycamore's monster 6'5, 230 lb. DE [player_tooltip player_id='1335274' first='Aiden' last='Hager'] has just enough film from 2023 to really get the imagination going. Sycamore is currently home to one of the best LBs in the Midwest in 2025 Iowa Hawkeyes commit [player_tooltip player_id='278895' first='Burke' last='Gautcher'], and the Spartans are set to continue the college coaching attention with their rising sophomore DL prospect, if the size and athletic flashes on film hold true.   Only one game of tape, and in the non-varsity reps, Hager looks like you'd hope a 6'5, 230 lb. JV competitor would look like, as he was physically dominant and overwhelmingly large at the point of attack and basically did whatever he wanted in terms of getting off blocks and disrupting his opponents run and pass game. He looks flexible and explosive in his stance, can disrupt offensives behind the LOS and has the speed to track down RBs from the backside of the LOS, and pushes off blocks like he's pushing a shopping cart. Only one game of tape as mentioned, but if the flashes hold true, Hager will be rapidly rising up the rankings once more info becomes available.     St. Laurence is well-represented on the 2027 rankings in Illinois and have an exciting up-and-coming DL prospect in 6'2, 210 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='409208' first='Sean' last='Rice']. Weighed in at 6'2, 213 at Northwestern's June prospect camp, where he clocked a 8' broad jump and 4.44 shuttle, and is a PrepRedzoneNEXT Showcase standout performer from his youth football days not too long ago. Rice also runs with Midwest Boom's 7v7 teams, playing offense and defense,and he's earned some recognition from Scott Burgess on the hardwood for his basketball performance on the AAU basketball circuit. Talk about a multi-sport and functional athlete, Rice was a varsity contributor in 2023 as a freshman but also spent time in the non-varsity ranks, and he brings a ton of length to the table that he used well in his 2023 highlights. The long arms, as well as the active, strong hands, help him disengage from blocking attempts, and Rice is a strong tackler who is able to defend the read-option. Rice also displays the motor and pursuit speed to run down ball carriers out to the edge of his defense. Should be hearing more about him in 2024.     Another prospect with a strong chance of eventually moving up the 2027 Illinois big board, 6'3, 215 lb. DE [player_tooltip player_id='1335297' first='Roman' last='Pellegrini'] spent his freshman year with Joliet Catholic Academy but has since transferred to Plainfield South, and he reports a 225 lb. bench and 405 deadlift to go along with some good speed for his size. Played at around 200 pounds as a freshman but is up to around 215, Pellegrini can track down QBs with urgency and pace, work free of blocks thanks to his length and active hands, an dshows strength as a tackler and can tackle in 1v1 settings and in space. He displays a solid get-off that can impact special teams and opposing punts , and the speed shows up well when running down QBs out to the sideline and on special teams and kickoff coverage. Pellegrini is definitely raw, but also athletic, and if his 6'3, 215 lbs. hold true he'll be seeing scholarship money and coaches come his way in time.     One of the most productive varsity contributors on the entire rankings, Kankakee's 5'11, 290 lb. DT [player_tooltip player_id='1334164' first='Jyheir' last='Sutton'] tallied 47 tackles, a TFL, and a sack as a freshman while manning the middle of the Kays experienced and aggressive defense. The kid is tough, and is quite the competitor, and is an athletic iDL prospect who looked and played like he was right at home as a 14/15 year old just entering the high school ranks. Sutton displays a quick get-off and closing speed, can unlock his hips and tackle in space, is able to shock and shed effectively, and is mobile and has a good motor. When he really picks up into gear he can cover ground in pursuit and will clean up loose plays and corral ball carriers as far downfield as necessary to help his defense. As expected, Sutton's ceiling as a prospect is going to depend on how much more he'll grow, but the athletic ability and production are there as a young buck, solidifying the fact that he'll stay on the rankings for the rest of his prep career. The Kays have a good one here!     Probably the most unique prospect on the 2027 rankings big board right now, Richards High School's 5'11, 190 lb. DE has untraditional size for the position, but Norwood has that dog in him, and it allowed him to seriously contribute on varsity for the South Suburban-Red competitor as a freshman, posting 12 tackles, a sack, and a TFL. Don't let the size fool you, Norwood's skillset is ready-made and more than able to succeed in the trenches at the varsity level. He's a 3-4 DE who can operate with his hand in the dirt or as a standup EDGE, and can easily shed blocks once he locks his arms out post-contact. Norwood's lightning-quick get-off combined with his strength allows him to bull rush and execute power rushes with success against larger OTs and TEs, and he has a rep of him backing a blocker down 5+ yards who was a head taller than him. The 190 lber. can dip and rip with success, as well as execute stunts around the LOS, closes with pace, and is an aggressive tackler with the strength to halt ball carriers in their tracks once he makes contact and allow extra gains and leg drive. I'm very interested and invested in seeing how Norwood's frame, skillset, and college projection continue to develop as he ages. Fun name-to-know in the budding 2027 class right now.    Linebacker    A transfer from St. Louis powerhouse Cardinal Ritter, 6'1, 200 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='498273' first='Phillip' last='White'] transferred over the Illinois/Missouri border after getting significant varsity reps with the Lions in 2023. White is a big addition to the Flyers defense, as he posted 12 solo tackles, 7 assisted tackles, 4 PBUs, and a forced fumble while bringing mobility, quick processing, and physicality to the table as a prospect.   White diagnoses and reacts quickly, which helps him step into passing lanes and making an impact on first and second level throws around the box and out on the edge, and he navigates through traffic well and closes with pace in run support. His start/stop ability and COD skills show up on tape, and he displays good pursuit speed that also shows up on special teams in kick coverage. White is also a strong, physical, and technically-sound tackler who shows good leg drive after contact and can backpedal ball carriers once he makes contact. The size and athleticism at his age, success and competitiveness at big-time prep football programs, plus the ability to disrupt opponent's run and pass games, make me very excited for White's future as a LB prospect. He's your new LB1, folks! Get to know him.     A product of North Aurora, Wheaton Academy's well-built 6', 215 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1178871' first='Logan' last='Oros'] has good size, is a strong kid who already benches 290 pounds, and is a three-sport athlete who plays baseball and track. Lots to like in the rising sophomore LB2, who played JV and varsity in 2023. However, Oros' 2023 highlights are harder to watch both aesthetically and analytically, as they are filmed vertically and low resolution. I can't make out much, but from what I could gather he's a physical kid with good closing speed who can pursue out to the edge, plays with a hair-on-fire attitude and playstyle, and is a three-down LB who can make an impact in pass defense as well. It looks like he packs a punch at the contact point, has good play speed, and excels as a tackler. Looks like things are trending towards some production and success at the varsity level in 2024 for Oros.     One of the hardest hitters I saw while grinding film for the PrepRedzone Illinois 2027 rankings drop, Marist Redhawk 5'10, 190 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1175327' first='Marquis' last='Steel'] had a productive non-varsity freshman season in the CCL, posting 73 tackles, 15 TFLs, and 2 sacks and laying some serious wood along the way. The combination of speed and physicality allowed him to make an impact in every game of the 2023 season, as Steel identifies and triggers on the ball quickly, shoots gaps with pace, and can beat blocks with either speed or physicality. His closing speed allows him to make plays behind the LOS in run defense, and he runs the alley well and has the speed to pursue out to the edge. Steel is also a standout multi-sport athlete who was an excellent JV rugby player for Marist in 2023-24 as a freshman and helped the Redhawks win the 2024 JV state championship. He overpowers ball carriers at the contact point and is a physical tackler who wins collisions, a good trait to have for a budding LB prospect. We'll see if he can add some inches over the course of the next year or two, but the skillset and playstyle are looking ready to make an impact sooner rather than later.     A PrepRedzoneIL Underclassman All-State selection earlier this year, Macomb's 5'11, 170 lb. tackle-machine [player_tooltip player_id='1334149' first='Drake' last='May'] had a heckuva start to his high school career in 2023, posting 104 tackles, 3 TFls, and 2 sacks for the Bomber's varsity last fall. That led his conference and was the 14th most tackles in the state in 2023, and he's looking to bump things up a notch as a sophomore.   Lots of natural ability in May, especially in run support, and he also displays good pursuit speed, instincts and processing ability to help sniff out and find the ball, takes good angles to the football, and is slippery at avoiding and disengaging from blocks. The 165 lber. shoots gaps with pace around the LOS, changes direction well in space, and is a strong tackler, especially for his size, who made some big boy hits in 2023 and is technically sound and able to take down bigger ball carriers consistently, Obviously, the size raises some questions in terms of his projection to the college level, but May is a natural football player who is going to have one of the more decorated prep resumes in the 2027 class when it's all said and done.

Chugging along with our PrepRedzoneIL 2027 rankings coverage after covering QBs, RBs, ATHs, and WRs. Finally, we're onto defense, and boy are there some kids to be excited about on the tougher side of the ball. The DL is particularly stacked, with three players already holding FBS offers, including a P4 offeree, and the most upside of any position group in the entire class and with a ton of names looking like future P4 kids right now. The linebacker class is led by a big-time 'backer and prospect, but it's a thinner position group right now with a lot of time left for new names to break onto the scene and take over the LB rankings and overall big board. Enough introduction though, let's dig in. DL and LB 2027 rankings breakdown is below!