Salazar is another speedy tailback in the Class of 2026. The St. Charles East product had a monster season at the JV level, showcasing his impressive straight line speed and elusiveness in the open field. While Salazar is a smaller back measuring in at 5’6, 160, he runs with low pad level and isn’t afraid to get physical in between the tackles. Salazar does his best work at the second level or on the edge, where his acceleration and speed shines. He can outrun nearly any defender on the field. As Salazar makes the jump to varsity next season, keep an eye on this electrifying running back.

St. Charles is looking like a promising recruiting ground for the 2026 class, and St. Charles East 5’6, 160 lb. tailback Xander Salazar brings a ton of juice and production to the 2026 PRzIL Big Board as our #58 overall and #2 ranked RB in the recently published inaugural rankings. There’s lots to be excited about in this early crop of ’26 RBs, and although all of them are in need of a growth spurt and some added muscle, their production, prowess in the open field, and general speed/elusiveness make for fun Hudl watches and spell out promising skillsets for the varsity levels of Illinois prep football. Salazar falls very much into these categories, and his freshman campaign resulted in him posting 1,284 rushing yards at a 7.46 YPC average and 21 touchdowns. The freshman tape shows off a ball carrier with homerun speed, patience, contact balance and quick cuts in 1-on-1 situations vs. tacklers in the open field, and some solid reps of him laying wood as a blocker in both pass pro and when lead blocking. I also like his reps as a DB, where he gets out of his breaks with pace and intuitively undercuts routes to play the ball. Salazar is also a three-sport standout who holds a 4.85 GPA!