Midwest Spotlight: Five midseason takeaways
We already sit about halfway through the high school football season in the Midwest, and many top prospects have proven their worth while others have burst onto the scene. Here are five takeaways from the Midwest at the halfway point.
MORE FROM THIS SERIES: Mid-South Spotlight
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CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals100
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1. The Midwest has some special running backs.
I knew there was plenty of backfield talent heading into fall, but I wasn't sure how it would stack up on a national level at the midway point of the high school football season. Although I have only had the opportunity to see a few of the Midwest's best at the position, what I have seen leads me to believe that the best in the region can compete with the best in the nation.
My first glimpse of the region's best came during a week zero game, when Waukesha (Wi.) Catholic Memorial running back Corey Smith put on a show against Wisconsin's defending state champs. Smith's entire skill set was on display while scoring four touchdowns, hitting the home-run plays and flat-out looking special on the night. His explosiveness, game speed and footwork were nothing short of spectacular, and they reinforced why schools that typically don't recruit the Midwest for skill players continue to be in pursuit of the four-star running back.
Darrion Dupree and Jeremiyah Love are two other elite Midwest backs who I've seen in person this season, and both proved to be special for different reasons.
Love has continued to grow and is starting to look like a physical specimen with the speed to match. He has also proven to capable of playing defensive back at a very high level, and the school he picks is likely getting a player who will be a legit difference-maker.
Dupree backed up his lofty ranking by scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter at the game I attended, which unfortunately put the game out of hand and limited his playing time for the rest of the night. The sample size was small, but the talent was evident, and I left his latest performance confident that Dupree has solidified himself as one of the top backs in the nation. He may be moved to APB because he is a kid that can do it all.
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2. Rivals100 prospects in the 2025 class have proven to be legit.
There are a number of Midwest recruits who made our initial Rivals100 for the 2025 class and they have validated their ranking through impressive play early on this season.
Bryce Underwood may be bigger and better than previously thought - and that says a lot considering he is currently ranked as the No. 1 QB in the entire 2025 class. Another quarterback who has recently hit a hot streak and come on strong is Ryan Montgomery. The Ohio product has been lights out during the past couple of weeks and has shown why he is one of the most sought-after players in his class.
I would also like to recognize two defensive lineman from Illinois in Jaylen Williams and Gabe Kaminski. Williams has been impressive early on and picked up his most recent offer from Iowa during a game day visit over the weekend. Kaminski has been absolutely lights out and is showing signs that he may be even better than his lofty ranking suggests.
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3. Illinois has a 2026 QB that could be one of the best in class
Bolingbrook (Ill.) has some young - but veteran - talent at wide receiver with 2024 studs I'Marion Stewart and Kyan Berry-Johnson. While those two have made a name for themselves without a sure-fire Division I prospect behind center in the past, they may have found a guy who makes them even more noticeable in freshman QB Jonas Williams. We knew Williams had "it" when he unleashed an absolute beauty of a deep ball for a 38-yard gain on his first high school play and then went on to finish his varsity debut with 407 yards passing and seven touchdown passes. Williams has the size, intangibles and arm talent to be a national recruit. He recently received his first offer from Kent State, and Williams could be a household name by the time his career is finished.
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4. Will there be an additional 2023 five-star from the Midwest?
Rivals currently has 20 five-star players in the 2023 class, which is well short of the typical 32. Yes, there are a number of strong candidates for a fifth star from the Midwest, but the plethora of talent outside the region may make it hard for a recruit from this region to land the lofty rating.
That being said, there will be a number of players in consideration. Among the top candidates for a fifth star are Oklahoma commits Cayden Green and Adepoju Adebawore, Nebraska native Malachi Coleman, Notre Dame commit Drayk Bowen, Ohio State commit Luke Montgomery, Missouri native Jeremiyah Love, Tennessee commit Chandavian Bradley and Alabama commit Miles McVay.
The spots are limited, the competition for the remaining slots will be fierce and the final decisions will likely come down to postseason all-star games. The chances of the Midwest getting one or two additional five-star recruits is likely 50-50 at this point, but there are certainly a number of candidates to consider.
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5. Memphis commit Arion Carter is on a meteoric rise.
I understand that Tennessee is slightly south of the Midwest, and you don't often see a Memphis commit being regarded as one of the nation's fastest rising players. But, for the sake of this argument, we will put Tennessee in the Midwest. Should Memphis hold on to Carter he will likely be the best high school player to sign with the Tigers in the Rivals era.
Carter is the real deal, and the only thing faster than him at linebacker is his rise to become one of the nation's elite players. This is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who plays the game at an incredible speed and comes with bad intentions every time he sees an opponent with the ball in his hands. The Tennessee product committed to Memphis on Jul. 20 and received his first two Power Five offers at the end of August. Then Sept. 16 hit, and Auburn offered. Since he received his offer from Auburn, Carter has received an additional 13 Power Five offers in the month of September alone. Many have come from the nation's elite programs, with his most recent scholarship offer being extended by Ohio State.