Talk about a stock-rising Summer Camp SZN! Edwardsville High School, located deep in Southern Illinois and home to the #16 ranked prospect in the entire nation, according to 247Sports, has another P4 prospect in their ranks thanks to the summer camp circuit. 6’1, 180 lb. speedster of a safety Clayton Lakatos Clayton Lakatos 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Edwardsville | 2025 State IL , a noted track athlete who reports a 4.44 40 FAT and 36″ vertical jump, came into the summer with one football offer, coming from UNI’s standout safeties coach Q Black, an excellent eval by the Panthers, but things changed quickly. Lakatos earned a P4, Big12 offer from Iowa State after balling out at the Cyclones prospect camp, and it followed it up the next week with a B1G offer from the homestate Illini. Back-to-back storybook performances by the safety, who also owns some impressive and exciting junior tape playing against some of the best athletes in the Midwest in that Southern Illinois region.

He displays good size, the ability to gain depth in his backpedal, excellent ball skills and 50/50 ability, and a ton of play speed, particularly in run defense. Lakatos demonstrates exciting range in run support, can cover a ton of ground in pursuit and runs the alley very effectively. He created some massive collisions and hits as a MOF defender, and is quick out of his breaks, changes direction well in coverage, and is able to play man out of the slot as a safety. The play speed and ability to get downhill and meet ball carriers behind the LOS from his high safety spot is very impressive, and the athleticism translates to pass defense as well. Excellent move by both the Cyclones and Illini, Lakatos is poised for an explosive senior season. Someone needs a serious ranking bump.