The ones I’m adamant upon presenting - may seem homerish - but they are as follows:
WR - Jeff Thomas
WR - Westercamp
Both for on field production and sheer dominance, each in their unique ways. No other receivers set themselves apart as much.
DT - AJ Epenesa
DT - Terry Beckner Jr.
Both were a man-child - unfairly almost. And each was top three position-wise nationally coming out - not just for potential but production. You HAD TO put two or three bodies on each one.
Austin Siebert - P and K - thick-legged country boy from Millstadt - averaged a tick under 40 yards a punt from the time he was 13-17 playing varsity ball. That’s a field flipper, Dropping an insane percentage into the 20. Scored 210 points in 40 games - with many 40+ Field goals and a 51. So even with crap West teams, he’d bail them out one way or another, especially since they always started D possessions at the 20.
Antonio Johnson - DB - an island of his own. Stats hard to show when you are avoided like the plague. Has the body - 6/3 190 - that few Dbs have even in college. Certainly had to take a beating from Thomas as a youngster and it’s clear he learned lessons.
For consideration but won’t happen because of big school, norther bias - Tight End, Sam Laporta. Played small ball - Mater Dei - but he was a 6/4 230 Tight End in high school. Now at Iowa and producing as a true freshman at 243.
Iowa says:
Earned first-team all-state honors on offense as a junior and senior . . . all-area defensive back as a junior and senior . . . first-team all-conference on defense as a sophomore and also all-area on offense . . . honorable mention all-conference as a receiver as a freshman . . . Career - - Four-year football letterman as wide receiver and defensive back . . . helped prep team post four-year record of 40-6, including just two losses in final two seasons combined . . . prep team reached state semifinals as a junior . . . ranks second in Illinois high school history in receiving touchdowns (50) and third in receiving yards (3,793) . . . recorded 68 receptions for 1,457 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, along with 53 tackles and seven interceptions on defense . . . as a junior recorded 67 receptions for 1,387 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also collecting seven interceptions . . . three-year team captain . . . also earned four letters in basketball and two in track.