High school football approaches: Our early list of 114 players to watch around Peoria in 2024
High school football is never too far away.
Illinois High School Association allows practice to officially open the 2024 high school football season on Aug. 12 with the first games set for Aug. 29.
The 2024 schedules are out, and we have the slates for every program in the Peoria area. What better time than now to look ahead at the upcoming season, putting together an early list of the top players to watch in the Peoria area?
These current juniors, sophomores and freshmen will be the seniors, juniors and sophomores making an impact this fall. This list is based on 2023 all-conference, all-area and all-state honors. All players are listed with their graduation year, while the positions — offensively and defensively — listed can potentially change.
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Here are those 114 players to keep an eye on ahead of the 2024 season:
Julian Alexander, 2025, WR, Morton
Lawson Alwan, 2025, DL, Peoria Notre Dame
John Bargen, 2026, QB, Dunlap
Chris Barnwell, 2025, DB, Stark County
Jack Beal, 2025, DB, Macomb
Noah Bell, 2025, DL, Washington
Jasmine Bisping, 2026, K, Richwoods
Aaron Brown, 2025, OL, Elmwood/Brimfield
Alex Brown, 2025, DL, Macomb
Ayden Boone, 2025, OL, Abingdon-Avon
Seandon Buffington, 2025, RB, Morton
Arthur Burden, 2025, LB, Princeton
Kyren Campbell, 2025, DB, Manual
Ian Case, 2025, DL, Macomb
Brody Childs, 2025, LB, Annawan/Wethersfield
Ace Christian, 2025, DB, Princeton
Brady Clark, 2025, DB, Kewanee
Joe Clark, 2025, WR, East Peoria
Brayden Conley, 2025, OL, Kewanee
Jaiduan Cranford, 2026, RB, Metamora
Braden Curran, 2026, RB, Hall
Jose Del Toro, 2025, DL, East Peoria
Dennis Dracup, 2025, OL, Morton
Alex Duarte, 2025, RB, Kewanee
Ryan Dye, 2025, DL, Havana
Ty Dykes, 2025, OL, Metamora
Alec Earley, 2025, OL, Annawan/Wethersfield
Elijah Endress, 2025, RB, Bureau Valley
Casey Etheridge, 2026, RB, Princeton
Jerrett Fauser, 2025, DB, Farmington
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Avery Fawcett, 2025, LB, South Fulton
Tyler Finnicum, 2025, LB, Monmouth-Roseville
Kaden Foglesong, 2025, ATH, South Fulton
Mason Giddings, 2025, OL, United
Sean Glover, 2025, LB, Richwoods
JT Good, 2025, LB, Elmwood/Brimfield
Hunter Gossage, 2025, DB, Rushville-Industry
Common Green, 2026, LB, Princeton
Jaquarius Green, 2026, OL, Peoria High
Avery Grebner, 2025, DB, Metamora
Jack Gronewold, 2025, ATH, Farmington
Jackson Hakes, 2025, DL, Fieldcrest
Jack Hanley, 2025, RB, Peoria Notre Dame
Chance Hedrick, 2026, OL, Fieldcrest
Bryce Helms, 2025, DB, Bureau Valley
Braden Holthaus, 2025, QB, Macomb
Austyn Huddleston, 2025, DB, Limestone
Tyler Humphrey, 2025, QB, Washington
Talan Hull, 2025, TE, ROWVA/Williamsfield
Amari Johnson, 2025, WR, Richwoods
Hunter Johnson, 2026, ATH, Princeville
AJ Jones, 2026, WR, Washington
Davontae Jordan, 2025, DB, Kewanee
Ryan Kelsey, 2025, DL, El Paso-Gridley
Trenton Kirgan, 2025, OL, Knoxville
Joel Koch, 2024, DL, Hall
Tory Kupferschmid, 2025, LB, Eureka
Hunter Lamberson, 2025, OL, Pekin
Carter Lambin, 2025, LB, Farmington
Conlee Landrus, 2024, LB, El Paso-Gridley
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Noah LaPorte, 2025, TE, Princeton
Ben Lapp, 2025, WR, Eureka
Bo Laws, 2025, LB, Knoxville
Connor Liescheidt, 2025, OL, East Peoria
Eddie Lorton, 2025, RB, Fieldcrest
William Lott, 2025, QB, Princeton
Drake May, 2027, LB, Macomb
Nolan McClay, 2025, ATH, Knoxville
Jordan McGinnis, 2025, LB, Rushville-Industry
Micah Meiss, 2025, WR, El Paso-Gridley
Brent Miller, 2026, DL, Eureka
Devin Miller, 2026, K, Washington
Kole Miller, 2025, K, ROWVA/Williamsfield
Brody Morris, 2025, DL, Tremont
Ian Morris, 2025, LB, Princeton
Caden Mowen, 2025, OL, Farmington
Ben Mullens, 2025, LB, Peoria Notre Dame
Cam Nickel, 2025, LB, Metamora
Cade Odell, 2025, OL, Princeton
Jackson Oldham, 2025, RB, Dunlap
Nolan Orwig, 2025, ATH, Stark County
Tristan Passmore, 2025, DB, Farmington
Rhett Pearson, 2026, OL, Princeton
Carter Prina, 2025, DL, Washington
Zeb Rashid, 2025, RB, Annawan/Wethersfield
Aiden Redcliff, 2026, LB, Hall
Tristan Redcliff, 2025, LB, Hall
Dominic Ricconi, 2025, OL, El Paso-Gridley
Cole Rinkenberger, 2025, DB, Morton
Braxton Rock, 2026, WR, Canton
Spencer Russell, 2025, DB, Peoria High
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Kamar Sanders, 2025, WR, Limestone
Preston Schroeder, 2025, LB, ROWVA/Williamsfield
Lucas Shaffer, 2025, OL, El Paso-Gridley
Aiden Shepherd, 2025, OL, Farmington
Mack Sutter, 2026, QB, Dunlap
Ben Taylor, 2025, WR, Kewanee
Jackson Thomas, 2025, OT, Monmouth-Roseville
Namolos Thompson, 2025, RB, Manual
Payton Thompson, 2025, DB, Monmouth-Roseville
Jacob Thorp, 2025, OL, Knoxville
Logan Utt, 2025, ATH, Farmington
Erik Vazquez, 2025, DL, Elmwood/Brimfield
Anthony Vujanov, 2025, OL, Princeton
Drew Watson, 2026, ATH, Macomb
Andrew Way, 2026, LB, Monmouth-Roseville
TQ Webb, 2025, WR, Peoria High
Joseph Weeks, 2025, LB, Dunlap
Colson Welgat, 2025, TE, Kewanee
Lane Wheelwright, 2025, QB, Farmington
Bennett Williams, 2025, DL, Princeton
Blaine Williams, 2025, WR, Tremont
Jake Williams, 2025, ATH, Princeville
Bo Windish, 2025, LB, Elmwood/Brimfield
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: Early list of players to watch for the 2024 fall season