The recruiting race for college football is heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2027 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2027 football recruits from Illinois using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by their 247Sports composite ratings. Here's the players from Illinois set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#20. Mason Halliman (IOL)
- National rank: #486 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #28
- College: Illinois
- Offers: Illinois, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Iowa
- High school: Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, IL)
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2 / 20#19. Chris Kasky (Edge)
- National rank: #467 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #41
- College: Missouri
- Offers: Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois
- High school: Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park, IL)
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3 / 20#18. Ohimai Ozolua (DL)
- National rank: #433 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #51
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, Boston College, Illinois, Iowa, Miami
- High school: St. Rita of Cascia (Chicago, IL)
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4 / 20#17. David Hill (DL)
- National rank: #432 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #50
- College: Wisconsin
- Offers: Wisconsin, California, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa
- High school: Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, IL)
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6 / 20#15. Darrell Mattison (S)
- National rank: #388 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #34
- College: Ole Miss
- Offers: Ole Miss, Michigan, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana
- High school: Morgan Park (Chicago, IL)
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7 / 20#14. Ronnie Gomiller (WR)
- National rank: #379 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #54
- College: Cincinnati
- Offers: Cincinnati, Utah, Purdue, Arizona State, Indiana
- High school: East St. Louis (East St. Louis, IL)
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8 / 20#13. Cameron Wagner (OT)
- National rank: #344 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #36
- College: Oregon
- Offers: Oregon, Auburn, Boston College, Florida, Florida State
- High school: St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, IL)
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9 / 20#12. Keysan Taylor (Edge)
- National rank: #341 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #30
- College: Ole Miss
- Offers: Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Duke
- High school: Guilford (Rockford, IL)
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10 / 20#11. Justin Johnson (CB)
- National rank: #218 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #24
- College: Illinois
- Offers: Illinois, Cincinnati, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota
- High school: Evanston Township (Evanston, IL)
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11 / 20#10. Brayden Parks (DL)
- National rank: #199 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #24
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Brother Rice (Chicago, IL)
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12 / 20#9. Roman Igwebuike (LB)
- National rank: #152 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Indiana, Clemson, Missouri, Arizona State
- High school: Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL)
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13 / 20#8. Tavares Harrington (CB)
- National rank: #124 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #16
- College: Michigan
- Offers: Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL)
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14 / 20#7. Raheem Floyd (CB)
- National rank: #122 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #15
- College: Florida
- Offers: Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss, Arizona State, Cincinnati
- High school: East St. Louis (East St. Louis, IL)
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15 / 20#6. Quentin Burrell (WR)
- National rank: #100 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #19
- College: Michigan
- Offers: Michigan, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Boston College
- High school: Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL)
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16 / 20#5. Brock Williams (TE)
- National rank: #90 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #4
- College: Texas
- Offers: Texas, Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn
- High school: Libertyville (Libertyville, IL)
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17 / 20#4. Myson Johnson-Cook (RB)
- National rank: #69 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #4
- College: Auburn
- Offers: Auburn, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor
- High school: East St. Louis (East St. Louis, IL)
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18 / 20#3. Jake Nawrot (QB)
- National rank: #65 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #5
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Iowa
- High school: John Hersey (Arlington Heights, IL)
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19 / 20#2. Israel Abrams (QB)
- National rank: #32 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #3
- College: Miami
- Offers: Miami, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke
- High school: Montini Catholic (Arlington Heights, IL)
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20 / 20#1. David Folorunsho (DL)
- National rank: #31 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #3
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn, California, Cincinnati
- High school: St. Patrick (Chicago, IL)
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