Steve Millar’s 10 things to watch as high school football kicks off with first day of practice in Illinois

A thrilling 2023 high school football season in the Southland was capped off by Mount Carmel winning its second consecutive Class 7A state championship.

This fall, the Caravan will go for the three-peat while the rest of the area’s schools start fresh with their own dreams of glory.

Many of last year’s stars return while there are plenty of fresh faces to keep an eye on.

As the high school football season began Monday with the first day of practices across the state, here are 10 things to watch in 2024.

1. The star recruits

Want to see future college stars and perhaps some guys who will one day play in the NFL?

Brother Rice linebacker Christian Pierce is the area’s highest-ranked senior four-star recruit, according to Rivals. Pierce is uncommitted but has offers from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Texas.

Eisenhower defensive back Andre Lovett (Illinois), Lincoln-Way East defensive end Caden O’Rourke (Northwestern) and Morgan Park defensive back Jovan Clark (Wyoming) are other top players in the 2025 class.

New Lincoln-Way East quarterback Jonas Williams, a Bolingbrook transfer who recently committed to Oregon, is a four-star junior.

2. Familiar faces, new places

Williams is not the only transfer to note. Brother Rice’s offense will be bolstered by the additions of running back Tyler Lofton from Marian Catholic and receiver Jimmie Maxson from St. Rita. Junior athlete Nasir Rankin is a huge add for Morgan Park after transferring from Whitney Young. Senior defensive back Myles Green (South Dakota State) transferred from De La Salle to Homewood-Flossmoor. St. Laurence will try to get back to state behind new quarterback Chase Kwiatkowski (Illinois State), who moved across the border from Lake Central, Indiana.

3. Coaching debuts

The most high-profile coaching move of the offseason came at Marist, where former…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/steve-millar-10-things-watch-145900621.html

Author : Chicago Tribune

Publish date : 2024-08-12 14:59:00

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