Gatorade Illinois Football Player Of The Year Award To Jonas Williams

Lincoln-Way East quarterback, future USC Trojan claims state’s honor

Jonas Williams of Lincoln-Way East was named the Gatorade Illinois State Football Player of the Year. / Jonas Williams/X

Jonas Williams left his mark not only on Lincoln-Way East High School and Illinois high school football, but on the sport across the United States.

The senior was recently honored as the Gatorade Illinois Football Player of the Year, the organization announced.

Lincoln-Way East Quarterback Broke State Records

Williams had a spectacular senior season leading Lincoln-Way East, throwing for 2,488 yards and 35 touchdowns. The Griffins finished the year 8-3 overall, reaching the Class 8A Illinois high school football quarterfinals.

Blessed to be Named Gatorade player of the Year for the state of IL!! @Gatorade @LWEastFootball pic.twitter.com/obqW6stBuf

— Jonas Williams (@JonasWilliams_1) December 5, 2025

One of the top recruits in the Class of 2026, Williams broke Illinois high school state football records for career passing yards and career passing touchdowns. He finished his Lincoln-Way East career with 11,347 yards and 147 touchdowns.

Jonas Williams 'Great Player, Leader, Person'

“Good doesn’t adequately describe Jonas’ play,” Lockport head coach George Czart said. “Great would be the word to use as you see how he makes all the throws on the field with accuracy and precision. Jonas is a great player, leader and person.”

Off the football field, the future University of Southern California Trojan carries a 3.69 weighted grade point average. He also volunteers locally as a youth football coach and mentor.

According to 247Sports, Williams is the No. 2 ranked player in Illinois in the Class of 2026, the No. 9 ranked quarterback and the 118th-overall athlete. He held 29 total offers including to USC, Alabama, Illinois and Indiana.

Gatorade Honors Athletes In 12 Different Sports, All 50 States, Including Washington D.C.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track and field.

In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.

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