Where the area’s best high school football players are Heading to College – ryan

With prep football practice set to kick off monday around illinois, Most of this year’s Elite Seniors have announched their commmitments.

Only Three Players in the State’s Consensus Top 50 – As Determined by the 247Sports Composite Rankings – Have Not Announed A College Choice.

Where are the rest headd and why? National Recruiting Analyst Clint Cosgrove Helped Break Down Some of the Numbers and Trends.

Big Ten Country

IT’S No Surprise That the Local Power Four Conference has mined the states actively than anyone Else.

Of the top 50 prospects, 27 are Commonted to 11 Big Ten Schools. Three software account for more than half of those recruits: illinois with seven and northwestern and purdue with four.

Bret bielema made it clear from the moment and took over a strugling fighting Illini program in 2021 that he wanted to keep illinois’ best talent at home. Bielema Hired Respected Two-Time State Champion Coach Pat Ryan of Metamora as Director of High School Relations and It ‘Helped to Repair What Had Been A Fractured BetWene The State Flagship Program and Illinois’ Prep Coaches.

Cosgrove noted that it wasn’t that long ago that that ilinois raarely had a top in-state recruit in its class. But in the 2026 Cycle, Bielema Has Commitments from A Pair of Four-Star Local Prospects: Morgan Park Receiver Nasir Rankin and Belleville West Cornerback Nick Hankins.

“They put in the work,” Cosgrove Said of Bielema and His Staff. “He Said he wanted to build from with.

Northwestern Long has mined the chicago area for talent under former Coach Pat Fitzgerald and Current Coach David Braun. The Wildcats’ 2026 Class Features One of the State’s Elite Quarterbacks in Fremd’s Johnny O’Brien and His Teammate, Offensive Lineman Owen Jakubczak.

At Purdue, New Coach Barry Odom is trying to resurrect a program that has struggled mightel in recent years. The Highest-Ranked of His Local Commits is Hillcrest Edge Rusher Max Carmicle.

“Barry Odom, He’s Going to Recruit the Midwest,” Cosgrove Said. “If purdue’s going to win in the Big Ten, they got to win some recruit battles in illinois.”

The Big Ten’s West Coast Members are Starting to hit the Chicago Area Now, Too. USC Has 2026 Commitments from Lincoln-Way East Quarterback Jonas Williams and Mount Carmel Defensive Lineman Braeden Jones, while Lincoln-Way East Receiver Blaise Picked Washington.

“Think that’s going to continue to trend as these west coast schools start playing here more,” Cosgrove Said. “You’ve got to have some midwest kids on your team if you want to hang and bang with the (traditional) Big Ten Schools.”

Sec Comes calling

The conference with the Second-Hostet Commits Among Illinois’ Top 50 is the sec with seven. All are in the top 35, Including No. 1 Mack Sutter, A Tight End from Dunlap Heading to Alabama, and No. 5 JC Anderson, A Mount Zion Tight End Committed to Ole Miss.

The Local Second Commits Are Morgan Park Defensive Lineman Carmellow Reed (Ole Miss), Mount Carmel Edge Rusher Joey Quinn (Vanderbilt) and Young Running Max Warner (Missouri).

Cosgrove Said Second Schools Take a More Targeted Approach to Midwest Recruiting Than Big Ten Counterparts.

“Their Coaches Are Coming Up for One Kid and One Kid Only,” he Said.

Quick Hits

The Other Two Power Four Leagues Haven’t Made Much of an Illinois in the 2026 Cycle. The Big 12 Has Four Local Commits, while the acc has just one – the Same Number as the Ivy League and the FCS Missouri Valley Conference.

On the Other Hand, the Group of Five’s Mid-American Conference Continue to be a presence locally with six commits in the Illinois Top 50 for 2026.

“The Mac Number Seems a Little Bit Low from what it is usually,” Cosgrove Said.

But with months to go till players maker Their Commitments Official, All the Numbers Are Prediminary.