SBLive's 2023 Illinois preseason Power 25 high school football rankings
We are closing in on the start of the 2023 high school football season in Illinois in two weeks. Here is a quick look at our preseason Power 25 football rankings, headlined by a familiar name that has reloaded after winning the Class 6A championship a year ago.
SBLive's Illinois Preseason Power 25 football rankings
East St. Louis quarterback Robert Battle
Ricky Slaughter
2022 record: 12-2
2022 final state ranking: 1
Top players to watch: QB Robert Battle (Lindenwood), S Leontre Bradford (Purdue commit), WR Jesse Watson (Purdue), ATH Taylor Powell (Northern Illinois), RB TaRyan Martin (Offers from Indiana, Louisville, and West Virginia), ATH Charles Bass (20 Division I offers)
2022 record: 13-1
2022 final state ranking: 5
Top players to watch: OL Josh Janowski (Iowa), Trey Zvonar (3 Division I offers), DL Caden O’Rourke (10 Division I offers), WR/RB Cade Serauskis, QB Braden Tischer
3. Mount Carmel
2022 record: 14-0
2022 final state ranking: 2
Top players to watch: RB Darrion Dupree (Wisconsin), WR Darrion Gillam (Kent State), CB Charles Miles (Western Michigan), LB Parker Startz (Ohio), RB Alonzo Manning (Navy)
2022 record: 8-4
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: DL Marqise Lightfoot (Miami), WR I’Marion Stewart (Michigan, transfer from Bolingbrook), ATH Mako Grant (13 Division I offers), ATH Ethan Middleton (7 Division I offers), DL Ivan Moore (14 Division I offers)
2022 record: 13-1
2022 final state ranking: 10
Top players to watch: TE Eric Karner (Texas A&M), ATH KJ Parker (Iowa), ATH Dominik Hulak (8 Division I offers), QB Dennis Mandala (2022 3A All-State selection), LB/S JP Schmidt (2022 Conference Defensive Player of the Year), OL/DL Jackson Ramos
Loyola Academy won its fourth football state championship a year ago
Ricky Slaughter
2022 record: 13-1
2022 final state ranking: 3
Top players to watch: LB Ethan Hogg (5 Division I offers), OL Kyle Baltazar (Army), DL Joey Kelly, RB Drew MacPherson (4 Division I offers), DB Kenny Langston
2022 record: 10-4
2022 final state ranking: 11
Top players to watch: DL Gabe Kaminski (12 Division I offers), QB Logan Malachuk, LB/S Brendan Flanagan, WR/DB James Penley, RB Alexander Angulo
2022 record: 11-2
2022 final state ranking: 14
Top players to watch: WR/RB Julius Ellens (8 Division I offers), ATH Mason Ellens (Toledo offer), DL Danny Coffey, LB Eli Limouris, LB Ben Starmann
9. Bolingbrook
2022 record: 7-3
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: QB Jonas Williams (9 Division I offers), WR Kyan Berry-Johnson (Wisconsin), DB Tavarez Edwards (2 Division I offers), LB Chris Ellen, LB Darnell Stephens
10. Joliet Catholic
2022 record: 8-3
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: DL Dillan Johnson (Wisconsin), RB HJ Grigsby (2022 CCL Orange OPOY), LB Max Hrvatin, OL Brady McKeon, QB Andres Munoz
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11. Hersey
2022 record: 10-1
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: OL Will Nolan (Iowa), ATH Carson Grove (Northwestern), TE Logan Ferrell (7 Division I offers), QB Colton Gumino
12. Lyons Township
2022 record: 9-3
2022 final state ranking: 24
Top players to watch: DL Eddie Tuerk (Illinois), ATH Noah Pfafflin (Colgate), QB Ryan Jackson, OL Danny Zarco (3 Division I offers), DB Daniel Montesano
13. Brother Rice
2022 record: 7-5
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: OL Conor Kenzinger (5 Division I offers), LB Christian Pierce (12 Division I Offers), QB Marcus Brown (Butler), RB Randall Nauden (Navy), DL King Liggins
2022 record: 11-2
2022 final state ranking: 25
Top players to watch: QB Alessio Milivojevic (Ball State, 2022 Conference MVP), WR Deshaun Williams (2 Division I offers), WR/DB Zachary Washington, OL Jack Donovan, WR Ian Willis
15. Palatine
2022 record: 10-2
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: RB Dominik Ball (Tulane), DL Filip Rolek (2022 Conference Defensive Player of the Year), DL Jaylen Williams (17 Division I offers), OL Parker Brault (3 Division I offers), QB Tommy Elter
16. Simeon
2022 record: 12-1
2022 final state ranking: 22
Top players to watch: DL Mikeshun Beeler (27 Division I offers), DL Chris Burgess (30 Division I offers), RB Te’Shon McGee (transfer from Brother Rice), QB Keshaun Parker
17. St. Ignatius
2022 record: 10-3
2022 final state ranking: 23
Top players to watch: DL Justin Scott (Ohio State), WR Clement Carey, QB Jack Wanzung, LB Emmett Callahan
18. Batavia
2022 record: 10-4
2022 final state ranking: 8
Top players to watch: QB Ryan Boe (North Dakota State), LB Ben Fiegel (Southern Illinois), OL Jonathan Brown, DL Jordan Buckley (Ball State), WR Isaiah Brown (transfer from Yorkville)
19. Yorkville
2022 record: 10-2
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: LB Ben Alvarez (Harvard), DB Luke Zook, OL Logan Brasfield (Coastal Carolina), RB/LB Josh Gettemy, QB Michael Dopart
20. Kankakee
2022 record: 8-3
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: OL Marques Easley (Georgia), RB Tony Phillips (12 Division I offers), DB Tyrone Kennedy, QB Larenz Walters, LB Marquesse Hill
21. Morgan Park
2022 record: 10-2
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: ATH Jovan Clark (15 Division I offers), QB Marcus Thaxton, ATH Tysean Griffin (Illinois), ATH Chris Durr (11 Division I offers), LB KJ Hayes
22. St. Rita
2022 record: 10-3
2022 final state ranking: 7
Top players to watch: RB DJ Stewart, QB Jett Hilding, DL Raymone Saffold, DB Zack Clark
2022 record: 10-2
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: DL Jake Furtney (Army), QB Ethan Plumb (Iowa State offer), K Hunter Liszka, RB Joel Holloman
24. Glenbard South
2022 record: 8-3
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: WR Cam Williams (Notre Dame), QB Michael Champagne, OL Jack Anderson (3 Division I offers), DL Saif Kokoszka
25. Marist
2022 record: 7-4
2022 final state ranking: N/A
Top players to watch: DL Brad Fitzgibbon (6 Division I offers), RB Marc Coy (Ball State offer), LB Duke White, QB Owen Winters
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