Meet the 2024 Dandy Dozen, Peoria area's top high school football players
Great players make high school football entertaining.
Introducing the inaugural Journal Star "Dandy Dozen," in which we name 12 of the best high school football players from the Peoria area. These players can be found all over the field — behind center, getting carries out of the backfield, competing in the trenches, making catches over the middle and going sideline to sideline on defense.
Here are 12 of the top players heading into the 2024, listed in alphabetical order.
Amare Breedlove, Manual
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior is garnering next-level interest, including Western Michigan, Morehead State and Valparaiso. Breedlove appeared in all nine games last season, completing 41.4 percentage of his passes for 468 yards, one TD and five interceptions. In averaging 6.1 yards a carry, he rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He also played safety, finishing with five interceptions, two forced fumbles and 32 tackles.
Seandon Buffington, Morton
The 5-foot-11, 168-pound senior earned all-Mid-Illini second-team running back for the Potters in 2023. Buffington ran for 1,263 yards along with 15 TDs, while carrying it 164 times for 7.7 yards per carry. In last season's Week 1 win, he ran for 200 yards and a game-winning TD. His breakout conference game came against Metamora, putting up 283 yards and 3 TDs. He also caught six balls for 38 yards.
Ty Dykes, Tremont
The 6-foot, 245-pound senior played at Metamora last season, earning all-Mid-Illini first-team honors as an offensive lineman. Dykes, who was an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association honorable mention all-stater, was an o-line that paved the way for 2,913 yards and 43 TDs.
Noah LaPorte, Princeton
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound senior was an all-Three Rivers Conference-East Division unanimous first-team selection as a tight end. LaPorte gave his verbal commitment to Northwestern in June after offers from the likes of Michigan State and Kansas. He had 34 catches for 517 yards and eight TDs, plus 46 tackles, four picks and a TD.
Connor Liescheidt, East Peoria
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior was an all-Mid-Illini second-team selection as an offensive lineman last season. He assisted in paving the way for 1,344 rushing yards and 20 TDs in 2023. Liescheidt, who is on the radar of several in-state college programs, will be instrumental in the new system as Sam Durley takes over as head coach.
Ben Mullens, Peoria Notre Dame
The 6-foot, 200-pound senior was an all-Big 12 Conference honorable mention pick as a linebacker in 2023. Mullens posted a team-high 92 tackles including 48 solo and eight for loss. He also lined up in the backfield, rushing for 745 yards with 11 touchdowns and averaged 8.1 yards per carry.
Cameron Nickel, Metamora
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound senior was an all-Mid-Illini second-team linebacker in 2023. Nickel, who is a three-start prospect, had 68 tackles with nine tackles for loss, three sacks and one forced fumble. He committed to Western Illinois before the season.
Carter Prina, Washington
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior earned a spot on the 2023 all-Mid-Illini first-team defensive line. Prina recorded 32 tackles with three tackles for loss, five sacks, a fumble recovery, one forced fumble and two defensive TDs. He helped the Panthers give up 11.1 points a game last season.
Zeb Rashid, Annawan/Wethersfield
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior was the named the 2023 LincolnLand Conference-Small Division Player of the Year. His 1,603 yards came on 191 rushes for 8.4 yards a carry and no fumbles. He scored 27 TDs highlighted by a five-TD effort and 245 yards against Deer Creek-Mackinaw in the opening round of the Class 1A playoffs. Rashid was a defensive specialist, posting 78 tackles with eight tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries.
Mack Sutter, Dunlap
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound junior was an all-Mid-Illini first-team pick as a linebacker. Sutter, who will line up as tight end, is one of the nation's most sought after recruits, having 33 scholarship offers from Power 4 including Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU and Oregon. He's looking potentially making a college decision at the end of the season.
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TQ Webb, Peoria High
The 5-foot-10, 162-pound senior was named all-Big 12 Conference second-team offense as a wide receiver. Webb went for 568 yards and five TDs off 27 catches through eight games last season. Look for him to get even more opportunities this season as the No. 1 target for the Lions, who debut Breon Green at quarterback.
Lane Wheelwright, Farmington
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior came up big in 2023 as his first season under center. The Farmers went 9-2, advancing to the second of the Class 2A playoffs. As an all-LincolnLand Conference-Large Division unanimous first-team quarterback, Wheelwright passed for 1,328 yards and 19 TDs. He also showed off his speed, rushing for 1,015 yards, 15 TDs and averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
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: Meet the Peoria area's 2024 Dandy Dozen
