2027 Rankings: Defensive Position Groups Stock Report

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>***Use Code “ScottyB30” for 30% off your subscription***</em><br><br>How has the 2027 class in Illinois progressed or regressed since our previous rankings?&nbsp; We examine it after a busy spring and summer by looking at how we graded the positional groups in August 2025, January 2026, and how we look at it now on the defensive side of the ball!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defensive Line</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>August 2025 – B+<br>January 2026 – A-<br>July 2026 – A-</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trend: Holding Grade</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There have been some names that have fallen while others have been major risers at the position, but this group remains the best defensive positional group.&nbsp; In the last year the number rose from an already impressive 19 top 100 prospects to 22 top 100 prospects.&nbsp; It is headlined by a pair of top 5 prospects in [player_tooltip player_id='1334133' first='Brayden' last='Parks'] (Brother Rice) and [player_tooltip player_id='1335315' first='David' last='Folorunsho'] (St. Patrick – Notre Dame).&nbsp; Two big guys that can really move playing with athleticism and power.&nbsp; Other P4 commits include [player_tooltip player_id='2104949' first='Ohimai' last='Ozolua'] (St. Rita – Michigan State), [player_tooltip player_id='1791833' first='Chris' last='Kasky'] (Nazareth – Mizzou), [player_tooltip player_id='1791849' first='David' last='Hill'] (Homewood Flossmoor – Wisconsin), [player_tooltip player_id='1335328' first='Corey' last='Randolph'] (Simeon – Wisconsin), [player_tooltip player_id='2053365' first='Owen' last='Roberts'] (York – Purdue), Darrin Graham (Mt. Carmel – Wisconsin), and [player_tooltip player_id='1304474' first='Tommy' last='Riordan'] (Hinsdale Central – Iowa).&nbsp; Other highly ranked edge rushers include [player_tooltip player_id='1598811' first='Brian' last='Demoss'] (Simeon), [player_tooltip player_id='2120971' first='Cornell' last='Bass'] (Lockport – Northern Illinois), [player_tooltip player_id='1566782' first='Kelonnie' last='Owens'] (Bloom), and [player_tooltip player_id='2244788' first='Kain' last='Switski'] (Barrington – Central Michigan).&nbsp; Interior lineman we are fans of include [player_tooltip player_id='2104961' first='Ronald' last='Moore'] (Kenwood), [player_tooltip player_id='1335224' first='Caleb' last='Brown'] (East St. Louis – South Dakota State), [player_tooltip player_id='1575273' first='Hunter' last='Wahtola'] (DePaul Prep – North Dakota), and more!&nbsp; Hinsdale Central EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1115779' first='John' last='Breton'] along with interior lineman [player_tooltip player_id='2176962' first='Caleb' last='Morrow'] (East St. Louis) are severely under recruited.&nbsp; A few of our favorite deep sleepers include [player_tooltip player_id='2134328' first='Joshua' last='Shaw'] (IC Catholic), [player_tooltip player_id='1345210' first='Mason' last='Bucon'] (Plainfield South), [player_tooltip player_id='1334164' first='Jyheir' last='Sutton'] (Kankakee), [player_tooltip player_id='1361646' first='Cashen' last='Brown'] (O'Fallon), [player_tooltip player_id='2088825' first='George' last='Kalkounos'] (Fremd), and [player_tooltip player_id='1732513' first='Easton' last='Ripke'] (Plainfield South).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Linebackers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>August 2025 - B<br>January 2026 – B+<br>July 2026 – B+</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trend: Slightly Up</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Notre Dame commit [player_tooltip player_id='1598821' first='Roman' last='Igwebuike'] has been at the top of this group from day 1 and he will stay there until the end.&nbsp; He got some help behind him now though in a trio of other P4 linebackers as Will Mette (Loyola – Boston College), [player_tooltip player_id='1570769' first='Matthew' last='Schlenhardt'] (Maine South – Syracuse), and [player_tooltip player_id='607399' first='Matthew' last='Brady'] (Bloomington Central Catholic – Michigan State) each had massive springs.&nbsp; They join Illini commit [player_tooltip player_id='409208' first='Sean' last='Rice'] headed to P4 conferences.&nbsp; East St. Louis star linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='498273' first='Phillip' last='White'] is an absolute steal for Western Illinois!&nbsp; A quartet of linebackers that should be getting G5 looks include [player_tooltip player_id='1335349' first='George' last='Holland'] (Lake Forest), [player_tooltip player_id='1131012' first='James' last='Bryant'] (East St. Louis), Darrell McCullough (Lockport), and [player_tooltip player_id='1131020' first='Makhi' last='Walker'] (East St. Louis).&nbsp; Sleepers we are big fans of include [player_tooltip player_id='1609147' first='Kaden' last='Butt'] (Libertyville), [player_tooltip player_id='1344909' first='Noah' last='Swaw'] (Tinley Park), [player_tooltip player_id='1688932' first='Dylan' last='Wellner'] (Nazareth), [player_tooltip player_id='1791961' first='Dawson' last='Deatherage'] (Triad), [player_tooltip player_id='1328984' first='Austin' last='Collins'] (Lincoln Way West), [player_tooltip player_id='2077543' first='Camren' last='Loghmani'] (Oswego), [player_tooltip player_id='1525074' first='Sitaleki' last='Militoni'] (Mt. Carmel), [player_tooltip player_id='792436' first='Tristan' last='Gatenby'] (Dundee Crown), and more!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defensive Backs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>August 2025 – A-<br>January 2026 – B+<br>July 2026 – B+</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trend: Steady</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall the DB group has remained steady as it remains pretty solid especially if you throw the ATH that project best at DB in here.&nbsp; Two stars remain at the top which has not changed in [player_tooltip player_id='476341' first='Tavares' last='Harrington'] (Mt. Carmel – Michigan) and [player_tooltip player_id='1335357' first='Raheem' last='Floyd'] (East St. Louis – Florida) who are super star type talents.&nbsp; More P4 defensive backs follow them in [player_tooltip player_id='1351662' first='Justin' last='Johnson'] (Evanston – Illinois, [player_tooltip player_id='2104954' first='Darrell' last='Mattison'] (Morgan Park – Ole Miss), Jake Theis (Fenwick – Iowa), [player_tooltip player_id='1160641' first='Jabarri' last='Lofton'] (East St. Louis – Mizzou), [player_tooltip player_id='2245896' first='Henry' last='Saklas'] (Nazareth - Michigan State), and [player_tooltip player_id='1671946' first='Jonathan' last='Harris'] (Brother Rice – Iowa).&nbsp; The top 12 players are all committed including [player_tooltip player_id='2105075' first='Cashmere' last='Coleman'] (Nazareth – Northern Illinois), [player_tooltip player_id='1335208' first='Isaac' last='Saldana'] (Mt. Carmel - South Dakota State), and [player_tooltip player_id='1335196' first='James' last='McGrath'] (Wheaton St. Francis – Western Illinois).&nbsp; Sleepers who have emerged include [player_tooltip player_id='2227122' first='Cruz' last='Evans'] (Glenwood), [player_tooltip player_id='2245914' first='Anthony' last='Brown'] (Collinsville), [player_tooltip player_id='1191482' first='Richard' last='Truelove'] (OPRF), [player_tooltip player_id='1406282' first='Kolby' last='Daniels'] (Brother Rice), [player_tooltip player_id='1719142' first='Travell' last='Williams'] (TF South), [player_tooltip player_id='1631457' first='Rontez' last='Smith'] (Bradley Bourbonnais), and [player_tooltip player_id='2105076' first='Mitchell' last='Potts'] (Normal Community).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Athletes</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>August 2025 – B-<br>January 2026 – B-<br>July 2026 – B-</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trend: Same, Same, Same</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tough to peg this position as they are essentially two way players who as we get closer to the end of their careers are trending one way or another.&nbsp; The top 2 ATH prospects are headed to Power 4 programs in [player_tooltip player_id='1661734' first='Keysan' last='Taylor'] (Rockford Guilford – Ole Miss) and [player_tooltip player_id='1344621' first='James' last='Johnson'] (Belleville East – Cincinnati) as both have shown the ability to impact on either side of the ball.&nbsp; Several more quality athletes from southern Illinois in [player_tooltip player_id='2104989' first='CJ' last='Willis'] (Belleville East), [player_tooltip player_id='1271823' first='Tyler' last='McConnell'] (Pinckneyville), [player_tooltip player_id='214234' first='Jayden' last='Ellington'] (East St. Louis – Northern Iowa), and [player_tooltip player_id='1334152' first='Donald' last='Collier'] (Cahokia – Bryant).&nbsp; North Dakota State is getting a steal in wide receiver/corner [player_tooltip player_id='1791871' first='Jackson' last='Cook'] out of Harlem.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1151334' first='Jaylen' last='McMiller'] from Glenbard West is our biggest sleeper at this spot!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->