Ok so as promised I'm going to first release a bunch to Top 5's via position. Again these are who I feel are the Top 5 recruits via each position. Please understand that these are not necessarily the Top 5 players per position. If you have any questions or need to understand better the differences feel free to post or email me anytime edgytim@edgytim.com I will run these out into a free story in a week or so, but in the meantime DO NOT release or republish on any social media whatsoever. Violating this request will automatically terminate your access to this board. Also note I'm basing position off of the Rivals.com database profiles...and if I feel someone could/should draw looks/offers at another spot I will make mention of it in the ranking.
Thanks
Top 5 Recruits Class of 2017: Defensive Ends
Overall Position Grade: B+ It's been somewhat of a strange transformation over the past few years in Illinois when it comes to line play. For years and years we've been known as an offensive tackle/linemen stronghold for recruits. Yet for the second straight recruiting class the defensive linemen class has been a positive while the offensive linemen? Ehhh. In the 2016 class it was all about the defensive tackle types. While the defensive tackles are still strong in 2017 (next up for review FYI) the defensive end group here is exceptional. In all honesty I can see at least 7-10 defensive ends in this class in Illinois sign to play at the FBS level. Maybe....just maybe the basketball body kids (Epenesa/Green-May among others) are starting to realize the overall need and demand for those basketball traits in football? We can only hope.
1. AJ Epenesa Edwardsville (6-foot-5, 255 pounds)- I remember the first time I saw AJ play both on video and live. Epenesa was a great sized kid physically, had a non stop motor along with freakish athletic skills which also included having a ton of speed, length and reach. Epenesa was able to just disrupt most offenses and at times can take over a series or two. FYI that was Epenesa's freshman year and I believe his second high school game ever. Epenesa, who has tremendous family bloodlines (Dad Eppy was a standout defensive linemen ay Iowa Mom a D1 volleyball player) and was honestly a lock for Iowa from the very early beginning of his process. Epenesa is and has remained a multi-sport athlete. Epenesa has great size/frame and very little if any body fat. Epenesa will need to add more strength and weight at the college level but has the frame to become say a 290 pounder without losing much speed or quickness. Speed and quickness? Espenesa has that quick twitch everyone is looking for in an elite level athlete. Epenesa also just have a high football IQ, makes great reads and his awareness is way above the norm. Overall? The kid is the top ranked kid in Illinois for many, many reasons. I feel he's 5 star caliber and I'm guessing Rivals and the rest will eventually come around. Or not.
My Guess on AJ Epenesa College of Choice: Iowa verbal commitment
2.Jacub Panasiuk Lake Park (6-foot-4, 260 pounds)- No doubt trying to rank the next few kids here was and remains a struggle. I'm giving Panasiuk the nod here for several reasons. If your looking for a more physically ready-made player who has the tools to step in today? For me that's Jacub Panasiuk. I love the Panasiuk's game and that goes for older brother Mike and younger brother Jacub. .Jacub has a great nix of size, strength and quickness...and an on the field mean streak a mile wide. Panasiuk plays extremely hard nosed and very physical football. Panasiuk also is advanced in just his overall knowledge of defensive line play and technique. Panasiuk uses his hands very well, has a variety of moves and can play the run and the pass equally as well. Again I'd take all five kids listed in this ranking in a heartbeat....and Panasiuk has a chance to become a very high level impact player at the next level.
My Guess on Jacub Panasiuk College of Choice: Michigan State/Michigan
3. Izayah Green-May Bolingbrook (6-foot-5, 205 pounds)- Izayah Green-May looks like a wide receiver/tight end from a distance...yet once you get closer and look harder you see exactly why college coaches nationally are offering this kid. Izayah Green-May right now physically is still a work in progress. Green-May still has work to do in the weight room, needs to add good weight and strength and also needs to continue to develop his overall game on the defensive line. Green-May has exceptional speed and quickness and again has that quick twitch. Green-May has the wingspan of a 777 and he will just get bigger and stronger from here on out. Green-May has the ability to drop into coverage when needed and again this is a rare physical specimen at the high school level. I watch Izayah Green-May and think with another 30-40 pounds and another year or two of on the field experience...wow. Green-May when it's all said and done could very well have the most upside here out of the entire group...which is saying something.
My Guess on Izayah Green-May College of Choice: Michigan State/Wisconsin/Minnesota/Mississippi State
4. Olalere Oladipo Huntley (6-foot-4, 235 pounds)- I was able to watch Olalere Oladipo last season against Jacobs and just remember thinking to myself "who the hell is this #99 kid? Wow." I had a hard time tracking him down at first because his names has been misspelled so many times in the media etc. When I asked a few other Huntley kids "Who is #88?" "Oh you mean Larry." The name is Olalere Oladipo but his friends call him Lere. Oladipo is also in the same boat developmental wise along with Izayah Green-May and a few others....and that's a pretty impressive boat to be in and Lere doesn't take a back seat to anyone. One of the issues that Oladipo will face is that he played defensive tackle for the Red Raiders in 2015 and the Power 5 schools will want to work him out at defensive end. Yes trust me...this kid has all the tools and potential to become a long term starter and impact player at the high D1 level.
My Guess on Olalere Oladipo College of Choice: Illinois/Penn State/Syracuse/Purdue
5. Noah Hickcock Rockford Boylan 6-foot-4, 265 pounds- A kid like Noah Hickcock is exactly one of the many reasons I decided to get back into the camp business. Hickcock came to my EFT/EDGYTIM Showcase camp in Barrington and just impressed me on several levels. Hickcock has great size/frame and also has very good strength. Hickcock showed at that camp good quickness, speed and showed a real desire to learn and was very coachable. Hickcock, much like Jacub Panasiuk is more of a ready made recruit...physically what you see is pretty much what you can expect once he reports on campus. Hickcock has room to improve, especially when it comes hand fighting and being able to better his pass rush moves and technique. However, Hickcox is also the type of defensive linemen who could wind up staying at end otr add another 15-20 pounds and play inside. Regardless I'd take a kid like this anyday.
My Guess on Noach Hickcock College of Choice: Western Michigan verbal commit
One Who Just Missed:
Oswego East Elijah James (6-foot-5, 248 pounds)- Strangely the first tiem I was Elijah James was his freshman year on the basketball court. I went to watch my nephew Dom play hoops and saw James just terrorize everything that went inside. I immediately called head coach Tyson LeBlanc and said "please tell me this kid on the basketball court plays football." James has the size and physical tools to play at the D1 level. James, much like Olalere Oladipo played defensive tackle in 2015 and that has slowed his offers. James also has work to do in the class room which has also slowed the early offers. Yet once James can get things in order look out. He definitely belongs in this exceptional position group.
Top 5 Recruits Class of 2017: Next up? Defensive Tackles
Thanks
Top 5 Recruits Class of 2017: Defensive Ends
Overall Position Grade: B+ It's been somewhat of a strange transformation over the past few years in Illinois when it comes to line play. For years and years we've been known as an offensive tackle/linemen stronghold for recruits. Yet for the second straight recruiting class the defensive linemen class has been a positive while the offensive linemen? Ehhh. In the 2016 class it was all about the defensive tackle types. While the defensive tackles are still strong in 2017 (next up for review FYI) the defensive end group here is exceptional. In all honesty I can see at least 7-10 defensive ends in this class in Illinois sign to play at the FBS level. Maybe....just maybe the basketball body kids (Epenesa/Green-May among others) are starting to realize the overall need and demand for those basketball traits in football? We can only hope.
1. AJ Epenesa Edwardsville (6-foot-5, 255 pounds)- I remember the first time I saw AJ play both on video and live. Epenesa was a great sized kid physically, had a non stop motor along with freakish athletic skills which also included having a ton of speed, length and reach. Epenesa was able to just disrupt most offenses and at times can take over a series or two. FYI that was Epenesa's freshman year and I believe his second high school game ever. Epenesa, who has tremendous family bloodlines (Dad Eppy was a standout defensive linemen ay Iowa Mom a D1 volleyball player) and was honestly a lock for Iowa from the very early beginning of his process. Epenesa is and has remained a multi-sport athlete. Epenesa has great size/frame and very little if any body fat. Epenesa will need to add more strength and weight at the college level but has the frame to become say a 290 pounder without losing much speed or quickness. Speed and quickness? Espenesa has that quick twitch everyone is looking for in an elite level athlete. Epenesa also just have a high football IQ, makes great reads and his awareness is way above the norm. Overall? The kid is the top ranked kid in Illinois for many, many reasons. I feel he's 5 star caliber and I'm guessing Rivals and the rest will eventually come around. Or not.
My Guess on AJ Epenesa College of Choice: Iowa verbal commitment
2.Jacub Panasiuk Lake Park (6-foot-4, 260 pounds)- No doubt trying to rank the next few kids here was and remains a struggle. I'm giving Panasiuk the nod here for several reasons. If your looking for a more physically ready-made player who has the tools to step in today? For me that's Jacub Panasiuk. I love the Panasiuk's game and that goes for older brother Mike and younger brother Jacub. .Jacub has a great nix of size, strength and quickness...and an on the field mean streak a mile wide. Panasiuk plays extremely hard nosed and very physical football. Panasiuk also is advanced in just his overall knowledge of defensive line play and technique. Panasiuk uses his hands very well, has a variety of moves and can play the run and the pass equally as well. Again I'd take all five kids listed in this ranking in a heartbeat....and Panasiuk has a chance to become a very high level impact player at the next level.
My Guess on Jacub Panasiuk College of Choice: Michigan State/Michigan
3. Izayah Green-May Bolingbrook (6-foot-5, 205 pounds)- Izayah Green-May looks like a wide receiver/tight end from a distance...yet once you get closer and look harder you see exactly why college coaches nationally are offering this kid. Izayah Green-May right now physically is still a work in progress. Green-May still has work to do in the weight room, needs to add good weight and strength and also needs to continue to develop his overall game on the defensive line. Green-May has exceptional speed and quickness and again has that quick twitch. Green-May has the wingspan of a 777 and he will just get bigger and stronger from here on out. Green-May has the ability to drop into coverage when needed and again this is a rare physical specimen at the high school level. I watch Izayah Green-May and think with another 30-40 pounds and another year or two of on the field experience...wow. Green-May when it's all said and done could very well have the most upside here out of the entire group...which is saying something.
My Guess on Izayah Green-May College of Choice: Michigan State/Wisconsin/Minnesota/Mississippi State
4. Olalere Oladipo Huntley (6-foot-4, 235 pounds)- I was able to watch Olalere Oladipo last season against Jacobs and just remember thinking to myself "who the hell is this #99 kid? Wow." I had a hard time tracking him down at first because his names has been misspelled so many times in the media etc. When I asked a few other Huntley kids "Who is #88?" "Oh you mean Larry." The name is Olalere Oladipo but his friends call him Lere. Oladipo is also in the same boat developmental wise along with Izayah Green-May and a few others....and that's a pretty impressive boat to be in and Lere doesn't take a back seat to anyone. One of the issues that Oladipo will face is that he played defensive tackle for the Red Raiders in 2015 and the Power 5 schools will want to work him out at defensive end. Yes trust me...this kid has all the tools and potential to become a long term starter and impact player at the high D1 level.
My Guess on Olalere Oladipo College of Choice: Illinois/Penn State/Syracuse/Purdue
5. Noah Hickcock Rockford Boylan 6-foot-4, 265 pounds- A kid like Noah Hickcock is exactly one of the many reasons I decided to get back into the camp business. Hickcock came to my EFT/EDGYTIM Showcase camp in Barrington and just impressed me on several levels. Hickcock has great size/frame and also has very good strength. Hickcock showed at that camp good quickness, speed and showed a real desire to learn and was very coachable. Hickcock, much like Jacub Panasiuk is more of a ready made recruit...physically what you see is pretty much what you can expect once he reports on campus. Hickcock has room to improve, especially when it comes hand fighting and being able to better his pass rush moves and technique. However, Hickcox is also the type of defensive linemen who could wind up staying at end otr add another 15-20 pounds and play inside. Regardless I'd take a kid like this anyday.
My Guess on Noach Hickcock College of Choice: Western Michigan verbal commit
One Who Just Missed:
Oswego East Elijah James (6-foot-5, 248 pounds)- Strangely the first tiem I was Elijah James was his freshman year on the basketball court. I went to watch my nephew Dom play hoops and saw James just terrorize everything that went inside. I immediately called head coach Tyson LeBlanc and said "please tell me this kid on the basketball court plays football." James has the size and physical tools to play at the D1 level. James, much like Olalere Oladipo played defensive tackle in 2015 and that has slowed his offers. James also has work to do in the class room which has also slowed the early offers. Yet once James can get things in order look out. He definitely belongs in this exceptional position group.
Top 5 Recruits Class of 2017: Next up? Defensive Tackles
