Certified speedsters headline the top offensive football players to watch in the suburbs this fall

Illinois high school football coaches still love the ground-and-pound, but they must also stretch the field.

This season's crop of offensive stars can do that, and they're attracting attention.

"When was the last time we saw almost every Southeastern Conference school come through Chicagoland? It just doesn't happen," said Glenbard South coach Ryan Crissey, who fields the No. 2 recruit in Illinois' Class of 2024, receiver Cam Williams. He committed to Notre Dame before his junior year.

"It's become similar to the NFL, similar to college. It's become a passing league, it's become about explosive play," said Matt Bowen, a former NFL safety who played at Glenbard West and the University of Iowa.

When Bowen is not working as an ESPN NFL analyst he is the defensive backs coach at defending Class 3A champion IC Catholic.

In practice, he's got to defend some of the area's top offensive game-changers.

Senior quarterback Dennis Mandala will be a four-year starting quarterback, a returning Illinois High School Football Coaches Association 3A All-State selection with preferred walk-on offers from Iowa and Texas A & M.

His targets include returning 1,000-yard receiver K.J. Parker, an Iowa-bound senior who averaged 29 yards per catch and scored 17 touchdowns. He's the No. 15 recruit in Illinois' Class of 2024 by Rivals' "Edgy" Tim O'Halloran.

Play design and personal training have become so sophisticated some of these quarterbacks' touchdown-to-interception ratios are unreal. Mandala threw 37 touchdown passes last season and 5 interceptions.

A pair of 2022 honorable-mention IHSFCA all-state quarterbacks, Ball State recruit Alessio Milivojevic of St. Francis and Kaneland four-year starter Troyer Carlson are right there.

Glenbard South senior Michael Champagne threw 29 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions in 2022. For Crystal Lake South senior Caden Casimino the numbers were 20-6.

Downers Grove North quarterback Owen Lansu was on people's radar even before he started for the Trojans last year as a freshman.

Cam Williams, the No. 2 senior recruit by both Rivals and 24/7 Sports and Rivals' No. 10 receiver nationally, in 2022 averaged 22 yards a catch (47 catches, 1,022 yards, 13 touchdowns). He possesses what Bowen called "top-end" speed, clocked at 22 mph running downfield.

Speed ratings are catching. Returning Hersey all-state receiver Carson Grove has a "GPS certified" speed of 21 mph. The senior raced for 861 yards and 9 touchdowns last season, with 4 more scores on kick returns.

Catching Troyer Carlson's passes at Kaneland is senior Aric Johnson, a three-time all-conference player who also plays defense and special teams.

Naperville North coach Sean Drendel said senior receiver Luke Williams is on pace to be the first four-time all-DuPage Valley Conference selection. Accepting a Purdue scholarship out of more than 20 Division I offers, Williams last season caught 42 passes for 614 yards and 5 touchdowns.

A junior, explosive Geneva receiver Talyn Taylor is Rivals' No. 2 recruit in Illinois' Class of 2025. After catching 51 passes for 801 yards and notching 1,179 all-purpose yards, Taylor has earned offers from Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Notre Dame, Tennessee and plenty others.

Honorable-mention all-state receivers Owen Hampton of Aurora Christian and Ben Petermann of Rolling Meadows are part of the mix, as is returning Daily Herald All-Area senior receiver Michael Prokos of Crystal Lake South.

Whether catching or running the football, Glenbard West senior Julius Ellens is really hard to stop. Class 8A All-State, the 2022 West Suburban Silver offensive player of the year ran for 1,589 yards with 475 yards receiving and 30 total touchdowns without fumbling.

Another 8A all-state running back, who brings sprinter's speed and athleticism, Palatine senior Dominik Ball committed to Tulane this April.

Returning senior all-area running backs include Barrington's Dillon Fitzpatrick, Antioch's Nick Day, Wauconda's Connor Vanselow, Huntley's Haiden Janke, Hoffman Estates' Quincy Williams, Larkin's Jalen Miller and West Chicago's Vincent Muci. Carmel all-area back Donovan Dey is a junior.

Hersey looks to reload from a 10-1 season with Grove, 280-pound, Iowa-bound tackle Will Nolan and junior tight end Logan Farrell.

St. Charles East tackle Bodey McCaslin will join Nolan at Iowa, both among Rivals' top-20 state seniors. Mundelein senior Brandon Hansen, a 2022 honorable-mention all-state lineman, is headed for Illinois.

Virginia-bound Grant Ellinger of Naperville Central and Army commit Joshua Manecke of Downers Grove South are among names to know up front.

With Farrell, top tight ends include IC Catholic all-stater Erik Karner, Jacobs' Grant Stec, Waubonsie Valley's Julian Johnson and Glenbrook North's Patrick Schaller. All but Karner are Big Ten recruits, and he's going to Texas A&M.

"I just think today's athlete is much more highly trained and much more skilled," Bowen said. "That explosive element, we see it every Friday night."