I’m a big fan of the players, prospects, and people the Fenwick Friars football program produces year to year, and 6′, 190 lb. DB Elijah Romeus Elijah Romeus 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Fenwick | 2024 State IL has been on my radar for a while and is no exception to my fandom. A 2021 state champ with Fenwick who holds a 4.35 GPA, Romeus holds offers from Illinois State (PWO), St. Thomas, Central Missouri, and Butler, and is a player with the potential to significantly raise their stock during his senior season in 2023. He’s also caught our scouts attention during the summer camp szn, specifically PRzWI lead scout and PRzIL contributor Mark Johnson, who noted Romeus‘ three level versatility, fluid hips, and reliability as a tackler. I’m definitely in agreement with Mark, and appreciate his hard-hitting playstyle, closing speed in both run support and when breaking up passes, ability to tackle in space, and propensity to stay sticky to receivers in man coverage. He does a good job of getting his head around and staying hip-to-hip with WRs running downfield, and also shows off the athleticism to create big plays as a WR and kick returner, where his burst and quickness make him a problem after the catch. Romeus is a three-phase contributor and a dynamic playmaker who can do a ton that’s asked of him on the gridiron. I also think it’s super rad he rocks #44 as a safety, and he laid some of the bigger hits I saw while grinding tape for the 2024 update.

The 6′ 190 lbs safety is one of the state’s top hidden gems overall. He has multiple clips that prove his three level versatility. Against the run he can come down and play in the box or off the edge. He is able to maneuver and make blockers miss on his way to the RB. Elijah can also line up deep and has the range to be able to attack downhill and make tackles at the line against the run. Romeus also brings the ability to cover the slot man to man. He has the fluid hips to turn and run with them downfield and the closing speed is there so he can bait QBs into bad decisions. Lastly, Elijah is a reliable tackler who you can count on to be the last line of defense. Give his tape a look.

Elijah Romeus Elijah Romeus 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Fenwick | 2024 State IL is another primetime ball player with game-changing capability. Spending most of his time in Fenwick’s defensive backfield, Elijah brings a solid mixture of physicality and athleticism when he is on the field. First and foremost, Elijah is a phenomenal tackler who packs a punch at the point of contact. In coverage, Elijah shows that he doesn’t lose any momentum as he flips his hips to turn with whoever he is covering. Elijah is also a big-time special teams player. Whether he is returning kickoffs for big gains, or covering punts, Elijah can seemingly change the field position battle by himself. With all of this being said, it is clear that Elijah is an athlete that everyone needs to have on their radar heading into the future.