High school football: Top 25 Illinois players from the Class of 2022

Ahead of the 2021 high school football season, MaxPreps is breaking down the top senior prospects in the country state-by-state as rated by 247Sports. We continue the series with Illinois, which opens play Aug. 27.

Three schools claim two top 25 talents on their respective rosters: St. Rita, Marist (Chicago) and East St. Louis. Fenwick (Oak Park) has the most selections with three (all offensive).

247SPORTS: Complete Illinois player rankings

By position, wide receivers dominate with 11, followed by offensive linemen (three) and tight ends (three). Overall, offensive players own 21 of the top 25 spots.

As of Aug. 5, 21 of the 25 have committed to colleges, headlined by six to Illinois. Northwestern has three commits (all in the Top 10).

Illinois' Top 25 football players from Class of 2022

1. Luther Burden III | East St. Louis
6-2 | 194 | WR | Oklahoma commit
Five-star prospect is the country’s top receiver recruit and its No. 6 overall player. Holds 39 offers, including Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, LSU, USC, Texas, Georgia, Oregon and Penn State. Also excels in basketball.

2. Kaleb Brown | St. Rita (Chicago)
5-11 | 177 | WR | Ohio State
All-American Bowl selection and four-star prospect ranks among the country’s Top 10 receiver recruits.

3. Tyler Morris | Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park)
6-0 | 175 | WR | Michigan
All-American Bowl selection and four-star prospect was limited to just three games last year, but had over 1,700 yards total offense and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore.

4. Sebastian Cheeks | Evanston
6-3 | 210 | LB | North Carolina
All-American Bowl selection and four-star prospect is one of the country’s Top 20 linebacker recruits.

5. Reggie Fleurima | Naperville Central
6-2 | 200 | WR | Northwestern
Four-star prospect picked the Wildcats over Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, and Purdue among others.

6. Austin Brown | Johnston City
6-1 | 195 | S | Wisconsin
Four-star prospect also excels on offense where he ran for 1,126 yards and 14 touchdowns last season in six games. Had 36 tackles, two TFL and two forced fumbles as well en route to earning IHSFCA 2A All-State honors.

7. Rashad Rochelle | Springfield
5-11 | 170 | QB/WR | Rutgers
Four-year varsity starter has accounted for 4,786 passing yards, 1,908 rushing yards and 90 total touchdowns in his career.

8. Deuce McGuire | Marist (Chicago)
6-5 | 270 | OT | Northwestern
State’s top offensive line prospect picked the Wildcats over Oregon, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, West Virginia and California among others.  

9. Chris Petrucci | Maine South (Park Ridge)
6-5 | 210 | TE/WR | Northwestern
Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Kentucky and Cincinnati among his 15 offers.

10. Jared Badie | Oswego East
6-5 | 212 | LB | Illinois
Top 100 linebacking prospect nationally. Holds 15 offers, including Michigan State, Purdue, Nebraska, Indiana, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Minnesota.

11. Jacob Bostick | Palatine
6-3 | 170 | WR | Iowa
Three-star prospect caught 31 passes for 451 yards and nine touchdowns in six games last season.

12. Aidan Laughery | Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley
5-11 | 188 | ATH | Illinois
Ran for 1,279 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore and 464 yards and four touchdowns as a junior (just four games). Has been clocked at 10.58-seconds in the 100-meter dash.

13. Ahmad Robinson | East St. Louis
5-10 | 176 | CB | Arkansas State
Also holds offers from Indiana, Missouri, Bowling Green and South Dakota.

14. Eian Pugh | Fenwick (Oak Park)
6-4 | 170 | WR | Illinois
Caught 53 passes for 801 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Indiana, Iowa, UNLV and Cincinnati among his nine offers.

15. Kaden Cobb | Fenwick (Oak Park)
6-1 | 180 | QB | Ball State
Three-star prospect holds 14 offers, including Vanderbilt, Missouri and Boston College.

16. Jordan Anderson | Joliet Catholic
6-3 | 215 | RB | Illinois
State’s top running back prospect picked the Illini over Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo.

17. Henry Boyer | Brother Rice (Chicago)
6-6 | 250 | TE | Illinois
Top 75 tight end prospect nationally. Kent State has also offered.

18. Jalil Martin | Kenwood (Chicago)
6-3 | 190 | WR | Undecided
Michigan State, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Washington State among his 13 offers.

19. James Kyle | Loyola Academy (Wilmette)
6-5 | 225 | TE | Undecided
Holds offers from Nebraska, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Toledo.

20. Luke Dalton | Marian Central Catholic (Woodstock)
6-5 | 300 | OT | Undecided
Arizona State and Kansas among his eight offers.

21. Hank Beatty | Rochester
5-11 | 180 | WR | Illinois
Picked the Illini over Iowa State, Air Force, Central Michigan and Northern Illinois among others.

22. Maurice Edwards | Warren Township (Gurnee)
6-0 | 198 | RB | Vanderbilt
Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Central Michigan and Toledo among his 13 offers.

23. Max Reesee | Fenwick (Oak Park)
6-3 | 200 | WR | Undecided
Holds 11 offers, including UNLV, Kansas and Arizona State.

24. Valen Erickson | St. Rita (Chicago)
6-6 | 280 | OT | Nebraska
Three-star prospect is the first offensive line recruit in the Cornhuskers’ 2022 class.

25. Dontrell Jackson | Marist (Chicago)
6-0 | 180 | QB | Coastal Carolina
Florida Atlantic, USF, Utah State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio and Akron among his nine offers.