Time for another watch list on our countdown to prepare football.
Every week this summer we provide insight into the 2025 football season for teams, players and coaches in our coverage area. If we count it from 10, we reach no. 1 on August 29 – opening evening.
We started with 10 senior recruits to watch and then noticed nine of our top quarterbacks.
Now it’s time for eight-area non-quarterbacks to see play this season.
Logan Abrams, RB-LB, Cary-Grove
Last year from the foot operation, the Redemption tour of Abrams started in the spring with top-seven state paths and field finishes in the shot put and discus.
Last season, the emerging senior missed the majority of the play-off run of the Trojan horses with the injury when Cary-Groe’s short shoot on a second straight state title with a semi-final loss for Geneva. But now he is completely clear and ready to dominate again.
On 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds it is equally effective with fullback and Linebacker.
Tony Balanganii, Ol-DL, Palatine
If you like to watch Hudl films, watch Balanganayis. It is great to see the tenacity of the rising senior on blocks and his ability to erase everything on his side of the field.
Balanganayi, also a striking basketball player, is deceptively athletic with its 6-4, 260 pound frame. He committed himself to Illinois after collecting nearly 20 stock market offers.
Austin Coles, WR-TE, Barrington
As a second year last season, Coles had an average of almost 21 meters a catch and 100 per match. No wonder that his 15 stock market offers mainly include Power 4 programs.
He is dangerous in the room because of his plowility, and he is just as heavy in traffic because of how difficult he is to bring down.
Gabriel Hill, DL, Naperville North
The immensely strong 6-2, 295-pound Tackle pushed 18 stock market offers aside to commit to Indiana University.
The rising senior is nice to look for a number of reasons, but especially for his ability to reach the quarterback from the interior. Last season he had 26 tackles for loss and 9 bags while liding the defense of the huskies in solos.
Gavin Mueller, Te, South Elgin
The most important reason to see Mueller is his immense potential.
His junior season last year in St. Francis was his first organized football, but Mueller started to get stock market offers before he once played a down.
Mueller committed to Colorado after reducing the finalists into a list of LSU, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.
Keaton Reinke, WR, St. Charles North
With a fastball with a low 90 on the hill and wheels to burn in midfield, Reinke could easily have chosen baseball as his university sport. But after 80 passes of 1,218 Yards and the scoring of 18 touchdowns last season as a junior, football is his future.
Reinke dedicated to Northwestern last month, by passing on eight other offers, including Iowa and Stanford.
Aaron Stewart, RB, Warren
Without the wrestling templent of Stewart, the rising senior would get much more attention on the football field. The double defending IHSA champion Grappler is dedicated to Illinois, where he can play both sports.
Last season, Stewart hurried for nearly 2,500 yards and 34 touchdowns. He is run more than 4,000 meters in two Varsity seasons.
Brock Williams, Te, Libertyville
Checked by rivals such as no. 2 Tight final recruitment in the nation in the 2027 class, Williams already has nearly 40 stock market offers.
Every Blue Blood College program wants its talents, from USC to Alabama and from Texas to Oregon. On 6-5 and 210 pounds, Williams is physically in the middle of the field against Linebackers and quickly on the outside against defensive backs.
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