SBLive's 2023 Illinois preseason Power 25 high school football rankings

East St. Louis, Lincoln-Way East, Mount Carmel highlight preseason Illinois 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.

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SBLive's Illinois Preseason Power 25 football rankings

East St. Louis quarterback Robert Battle / Ricky Slaughter

1. East St. Louis

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)

2. Lincoln-Way East

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)

4. Kenwood Academy

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)

5. IC Catholic Prep

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

6. Loyola Academy

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

7. Nazareth Academy

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 

8. Glenbard West

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

14. St. Francis (Wheaton)

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

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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

23. St. Charles North

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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