chicago_suntimes
With the IHSA wrapping up its summer dead week and the start of practice barely a month away, it's a good time to catch up on some football news and notes.Here are a few current storylines:The commitmentsIn a college landscape that seems to be changing on a daily basis, prospects are making their college decisions sooner than ever.Almost all recruits make their commitments official in the early signing window, which starts on Dec.
4 this year (the late signing day is Feb.
4, 2027).And unlike in the past when colleges would hold off on offers and prospects would hold off on commitments until the first few weeks of the high school season, almost every elite player wants to make up their mind before practice starts for their senior season.In the 247Sports' consensus rankings for the state's best players in the 2027 cycle, only seven of the top 50 remain uncomitted: No.
8 Mount Carmel linebacker Roman Igwebuike, No.
9 East St.
Louis cornerback Raheem Floyd, No.
10 Brother Rice defensive lineman Brayden Parks, co-No.
21 Kenwood wide receiver Lawrence Carr, No.
38 Crete-Monee running back Jeremiah Stonewall and two Simeon teammates tied for No.
46 edge Brian DeMoss and running back James Bell.The commitments IIA look at where the 2027 recruits are going shows how Illinois has become a national recruiting hotbed.A whopping 24 Power Four schools from coast to coast from Boston College and Syracuse in the east to Oregon in the west have landed at least one top-50 commitment in the class.Leading the way are Illinois and coach Bret Bielema, whose emphasis on in-state recruiting already has landed six top-50 pledges: No.
11 Evanston cornerback Justin Johnson, No.
18 Lincoln-Way East offensive lineman Mason Halliman, No.
19 Geneva receiver Bennett Konkey, No.
26 offensive lineman Soren Fifer from downstate Morton, co-No.
31 St.
Laurence linebacker Sean Rice and co-No.
39 Montini offensive lineman Gavin Ericson-Staton.A quartet of schools have landed three top-50 commits.
One is no surprise: Michigan State, where longtime Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has rebooted his career and used his Chicago-area connections to secure commitments from St.
Rita defensive lineman Ohimai Ozolua (a transfer from Romeoville), Nazareth safety Henry Sakalas and Bloomington Central Catholic linebacker Matthew Brady.Also getting three pledges in the Illinois top 50 were Missouri, Iowa and Boston College.Transfer timeWhile some of the state's top basketball prospects have been leaving for prep schools lately, that hasn't been the case in football.
But that doesn't mean there won't be any high-profile players wearing different uniforms this fall.
All of the moves won't be known until the start of practice on Aug.
5, but some players already are settling into their new programs.
Here are a couple of note:Jadon Wilson, a rising junior who was the backup QB for East St.
Louis' Class 6A state runner-up, is now at defending 5A champ St.
Francis.
Rising senior Donovan Evans, the leading receiver for 7A runner-up St.
Rita last fall, is at defending 4A champ Montini.