You’d think after decades of watching teenagers smash into each other on Friday nights, we’d have a perfect system for knowing who’s actually the best. But honestly, Illinois high school football player rankings are more like a living, breathing argument than a static list. One week a kid is a three-star "diamond in the rough" from the 618, and the next, he’s got a Lincoln-Way East helmet on and ten Power Four offers.
It’s chaotic. It’s loud. And if you’re looking at the current landscape for 2026, it’s arguably the most talented the state has been in a generation.
The Big Names Topping the 2026 Board
Right now, the conversation basically starts and ends with a few guys who have already shut down their recruitments. Mack Sutter from Dunlap is a freak. There is no other way to put it. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he’s committed to Alabama, and he’s the kind of tight end who makes defensive coordinators stay up way too late staring at film.
Then you've got the quarterbacks. Jonas Williams, now at Lincoln-Way East, is a USC commit who just makes the game look easy. He was an Elite 11 finalist this past summer, which is basically the "Golden Ticket" for high school QBs.
If you want speed, you look at Messiah Tilson out of Rockford Guilford. The kid is a Kentucky commit who runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash. He literally holds state records in track. On the football field, that speed translates to "now you see him, now you're looking at the back of his jersey."
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The Current Heavyweights
Looking at the 247Sports and On3 industry composites, here is how the top of the stack is shaking out for the class of 2026:
- Mack Sutter (TE, Dunlap): Alabama commit. Total utility player who has taken snaps at QB and EDGE but projects as a dominant TE at the next level.
- Jonas Williams (QB, Lincoln-Way East): USC commit. High-IQ passer who flipped from Oregon to the Trojans.
- Nasir Rankin (WR/ATH, Morgan Park): A massive win for Bret Bielema and the Illini. He’s stuck with his home-state commitment since last May.
- Claude Mpouma (OT, Mount Carmel): Nebraska commit. This kid is fascinating—he moved to the U.S. for basketball, won a state title on the court, and only started playing football recently. Now he's a 6-foot-5, 330-pound wall.
- JC Anderson (TE, Mt. Zion): Ole Miss commit. Another jumbo athlete (6-foot-6) who has been an All-State pick twice.
Why the Rankings Always Feel "Off"
Most people get frustrated with Illinois high school football player rankings because they feel biased toward the Chicago suburbs. And look, I get it. The WSC Silver and the CCL-Blue are brutal conferences that get a ton of scout eyes. When you play for a powerhouse like Mount Carmel or Loyola Academy, you're going to get noticed faster.
But some of the best talent is actually coming from the "forgotten" pockets.
Take Gabe Hill at Naperville North. He’s an Indiana commit who is basically a ball of muscle. At 300 pounds, he runs a 4.8-second 40. That's not normal. Or look at Braeden Jones at Mount Carmel, who is headed to USC. The physical floor for these kids has moved. We aren't just looking for "tough" kids anymore; we're looking for NFL frames that happen to be in high school.
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A Quick Reality Check on Stats vs. Stars
Just because a kid has five stars doesn't mean he's leading the state in yards. Israel Abrams at Montini Catholic threw for over 4,000 yards as a junior. Trae Taylor at Carmel was right behind him with 38 touchdowns. These guys are "stat monsters," but recruiting rankings care more about "ceiling"—how good will this kid be in three years when he's on a college weight program?
"Recruiting is about projection, not just production. You can have 50 touchdowns in 2A, but if you're 5-foot-8, the scouts might still pass you over for the 6-foot-4 kid with 10 touchdowns in the CCL."
The Rise of the Interior Monsters
We used to be a "linebacker state." Now? We are an "offensive tackle state."
Gene Riordan from Hinsdale Central is a perfect example. He’s 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, and he’s headed to Iowa. Everyone knows Iowa is where offensive linemen go to become millionaires. He chose the Hawkeyes over Illinois and Minnesota because he knows the pedigree.
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Then you have McHale Blade from Simeon. He’s a Michigan commit who dealt with an ACL injury that cost him his junior year. Most kids would drop off the rankings entirely. Not him. The Wolverines saw enough in his sophomore tape to know he's a game-changer on the edge.
How to Actually Use These Rankings
If you're a parent or a fan trying to make sense of all this, don't get hung up on the specific number. Whether a kid is #4 or #12 in the state doesn't matter as much as the "tier" they are in.
- The Elite Tier: These are the guys like Sutter and Williams. They have multiple Power Four offers before their junior year even ends.
- The Risers: Keep an eye on guys like Darrell Mattison from Morgan Park. He’s a defensive back who just picked up a Kansas offer this month. His stock is "mooning" right now.
- The Producers: These are the Aaron Stewarts of the world. Stewart (Warren Township) had over 2,800 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns. He might not be the #1 recruit, but he’s the guy you don't want to see in the playoffs.
What's Next for Illinois Recruiting?
The 2026 class is mostly "baked in" at the top, but the movement is happening in the middle. The big trend right now is the "Midwest Power Move"—teams like Nebraska and Indiana are raiding Illinois harder than they have in a decade.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, stop looking at the stars and start looking at the offer lists. When a coach like Lance Leipold at Kansas starts throwing offers at kids like TJ Hill (Bolingbrook) in the middle of January, that's a signal that the rankings are about to shift again.
Next Steps for Fans and Athletes:
- Follow the Commitments: Watch the "Signing Day" tracker for the University of Illinois; they just pulled their highest-rated class in history, and many are in-state kids like Nas Rankin and Davon Grant.
- Attend the Showcases: If you're a player, events like the "Rise and Fire" or Prep Redzone showcases are where the scouts actually verify the heights and weights that "fix" the rankings.
- Watch the Transfers: The rankings often change because a kid moves from a small school to a powerhouse like East St. Louis or Lincoln-Way East to get more visibility.
The rankings are never final until the ink is dry on the National Letter of Intent. Until then, enjoy the highlights and the Friday night lights.