After watching hundreds of player films these rankings are who we project to be the best players at the collegiate level.
Please note: these rankings are not static and may change throughout the season.
Cover Photo Credit – Tom Hauck – Student Sports
| # | Name | Pos | High School | Ht | Wt | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A.J. Epenesa | DE | Edwardsville | 6’5″ | 260 lbs | Iowa |
| 2 | Jacub Panasiuk | DE | Lake Park | 6’3″ | 265 lbs | Michigan State |
| 3 | Olalere Oladipo | DE | Huntley | 6’3″ | 235 lbs | Illinois |
| 4 | Izayah Green-May | DE/OLB | Bolingbrook | 6’5″ | 205 lbs | Wisconsin |
| 5 | Joshua Maize | DE | Deerfield | 6’3″ | 230 lbs | Undecided |
| 6 | Jackson Perkins | DE | Barrington | 6’5″ | 230 lbs | Navy |
| 7 | Jawon Denton | DE/OLB | Morgan Park | 6’3″ | 200 lbs | Northern Illinois |
| 8 | Chris Sampleton | DE | Nazareth | 6’3″ | 225 lbs | Yale |
| 9 | Devonte Dunn | DT | Nazareth | 6’1″ | 275 lbs | Toledo |
| 10 | John Mitchell | DT | Crete-Monee | 6’3″ | 270 lbs | Undecided |
| 11 | Caylon May | DT | Rich Central | 6’2″ | 310 lbs | Undecided |
| 12 | Noah Hickox | DE | Boylan Central Catholic | 6’4″ | 280 lbs | Western Michigan |
| 13 | Ryan O’Malley | DT | Libertyville | 6’4″ | 250 lbs | Undecided |
| 14 | Chris Elmore | DT | Phillips | 6’0″ | 280 lbs | Western Michigan |
| 15 | Terez LaGrone | DE | East St. Louis | 6’3″ | 220 lbs | Undecided |
| 16 | Elijah James | DE | Oswego East | 6’4″ | 265 lbs | Undecided |
| 17 | Weston Kramer | DT | Marmion | 6’2″ | 275 lbs | Northern Illinois |
| 18 | Joe Spivak | DT | Montini | 5’11″ | 280 lbs | Undecided |
| 19 | Jordan Brown | DE | Lemont | 6’3″ | 220 lbs | Air Force |
| 20 | Jordan Williams | DE | Champaign Centennial | 6’4″ | 240 lbs | Ball State |
| 21 | C.J. Hunt | DT | Morton West | 6’2″ | 270 lbs | Bowling Green |
| 22 | Anthony Barcal | DT | St. Viator | 6’3″ | 330 lbs | Undecided |
| 23 | Jaylen Peoples | DE/OLB | Crete-Monee | 6’2″ | 225 lbs | Undecided |
| 24 | Ari Ekowa | DE | Plainfield North | 6’0″ | 245 lbs | Undecided |
| 25 | Lamontre Harvey | DE | East St. Louis | 6’1″ | 225 lbs | Undecided |
Honorable Mention/Players To Watch
| Name | Pos | High School | Ht | Wt | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Fox | DE/OLB | Phillips | 6’1″ | 215 lbs | Undecided |
| Joe Moore | DT | Johnsburgh | 6’3″ | 275 lbs | Undecided |
| Christian Wills | DE/DT | Althoff Catholic | 6’1″ | 255 lbs | Undecided |
| Sean Kuhn | DE | Yorkville | 6’4″ | 240 lbs | Undecided |
| Larry Washington | DT | Brother Rice | 6’1″ | 275 lbs | Undecided |
| Ellis Taylor | DE/OLB | Fenwick | 6’3″ | 225 lbs | Undecided |
| Caleb Jones | DE/OLB | Huntley | 6’2″ | 215 lbs | Undecided |
| Zack Tencza | DE/OLB | Lincoln Way East | 6’2″ | 215 lbs | Undecided |
| Derrell Grisby | DT | Chicago Hope | 6’1″ | 295 lbs | Undecided |
| Dionte Moorehead | DE | Glenbard West | 6’4″ | 215 lbs | Undecided |
| Joe Gannon | DE | Naperville Central | 6’3″ | 235 lbs | Undecided |
| John Pempek | DT | Sacred Heart Griffin | 6’4″ | 300 lbs | Undecided |
| Lane Sparks | DT/DE | Southwestern (Piasa) | 6’0″ | 240 lbs | Undecided |
| Nathan Tyrpin | DT/DE | Quincy Notre Dame | 6’1″ | 240 lbs | Undecided |
| Aaron Woods | DT/DE | Hinsdale South | 6’3″ | 250 lbs | Undecided |
| Adam Robison | DT | Washington | 6’3″ | 250 lbs | Undecided |
| Tommy Ciesla | DE | Neuqua Valley | 6’3″ | 245 lbs | Undecided |
| Robert Jones | DT | Rockford East | 6’3″ | 320 lbs | Undecided |
| Isaac Velasco | DT | Naperville North | 6’1″ | 275 lbs | Undecided |
| Jack Merrill | DE | Buffalo Grove | 6’5″ | 235 lbs | Undecided |
| Ebrima Njie | DT | De La Salle | 6’2″ | 270 lbs | Undecided |
| Jake Bahl | DE | Marian Central Catholic | 6’2″ | 220 lbs | Undecided |
| Matt Paulauskas | DT/DE | Lake Park | 6’3″ | 260 lbs | Undecided |
| Malik Wells | DE/DT | Naperville North | 6’3″ | 250 lbs | Undecided |
| Creo Argue | DE | Crete-Monee | 6’3″ | 225 lbs | Undecided |
| Jonathan Taylor | DE/ATH | St. Joseph (Westchester) | ’″ | lbs | Undecided |
| Bret Lopez | DT | Burlington Central | 6’2″ | 295 lbs | Undecided |
| Isaiah Ward | DT | Peoria Notre Dame | 6’0″ | 285 lbs | Undecided |