Vote: Who is Illinois' top returning high school quarterback in 2025?

Read up on all of the exciting QB candidates and cast your vote!

Levi Payton | Jun 17, 2025

USC commit Jonas Williams (13) - one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation - is expected to be a key piece in helping Lincoln-Way East take another run at winning an 8A championship after reaching the quarterfinals in 2024. / Dean Reid

Summer is officially here, but in just two short months the high school football season will be kicking off in the state of Illinois – with the regular season slated to begin on Thursday, Aug. 28.

The state is expected to be loaded with talent at the quarterback position yet again in 2025.

We've highlighted some of Illinois' top expected returners for the 2025 season, and now it's your turn to tell us which one you think is the best in the land. Please note this is not an overall ranking of the top quarterbacks in the state and all players are listed alphabetically.

Read up on each candidate below and cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. Voting ends Monday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. CT. You may vote as many times as you'd like.

Be sure to follow High School on SI all season for Illinois high school football stories, scores, live updates, photos and much more during the entire 2025 football season.

Top returning Illinois high school quarterbacks for the 2025 season

Israel Abrams, jr., Montini Catholic

One of the highest-rated high school junior quarterbacks in the country, Abrams is a four-star recruit by 247Sports, and its No. 5 quarterback in the country and No. 59 player junior in the country. He led Montini Catholic to a 12-2 record and the 3A state championship as a sophomore.

Mason Atkins, sr., West Aurora

He’s a three-star prospect by On3 who is committed to Ball State, Atkins passed for 1,667 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 214 yards and 7 TDs. He led the Blackhawks to a 10-1 record and the second round of the 8A playoffs.

Gavyn Cothern, sr., Richland County (Olney)

A true dual threat, Cothern completed 61 of 99 attempts across 11 games for 1,031 yards and 14 touchdowns but rushed 152 times for a staggering 1,566 yards (10.3 average) and 19 touchdowns.

Jayden Ellington, jr., Althoff Catholic (Belleville)

Dazzling as a sophomore, Ellington helped his Crusaders to a 14-0 record and the 1A state championship. The Crusaders scored 695 points on offense and Ellington racked up 2,008 yards, 33 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions while rushing for 378 yards and 9 TDs.

Dane Eisenmenger, sr., Tolono Unity

His arm helped guide the Rockets to a 9-4 mark and a trip to the 3A semifinals last season. He completed 177 of 254 passes for 2,802 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Matthew Gipson, sr., Grant Community (Fox Lake)

Gipson’s junior campaign was a good one. The 23 touchdown passes he threw were more than the 16 he had as a sophomore, and his 2,033 yards were a marked improvement over the 1,606 he racked up the year prior.

Asa Johnson, sr., Aurora Christian

Doing most of his damage from the pocket (though he did have 3 touchdowns rushing), Johnson impressed in his first season guiding the 1A Eagles. He racked up 2,332 yards through the air and 24 touchdowns in 2024.

Owen Lansu, sr., Downers Grove North

Committed to Minnesota, Lansu is a 6-foot-2 three-star prospect by 247Sports. As a junior he finished just shy of 2,000 yards passing with 22 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Kodey McKinney, sr., St. Joseph-Ogden

Helped the Spartans go 12-1 last season – their only loss to Tolono Unity in the 3A playoffs. McKinney passed for 2,351 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards with 9 TDs.

Johnny O’Brien, sr., Fremd

A three-star recruit committed to Northwestern, O’Brien had a monster junior season, passing for 3,288 yards and 39 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions while guiding the Vikings to a 9-2 record in Class 8A.

Deegan Prater, sr., Dupo

Class 1A defenses don’t enjoy facing Prater. He passed for 1,453 yards and 16 touchdowns but proved equally as dangerous with his legs by rushing for 954 yards with 14 trips to the end zone.

Jameson Purcell, jr., Maine South (Park Ridge)

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound southpaw guided his team to the 8A quarterfinals as a sophomore while completing 197 of 280 passes (70.4%) for 2,572 yards with 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 11 games. A three-star recruit by 247Sports, he holds 30 Division I offers, including Oregon, Georgia, Miami (Florida), Indiana, Florida, Florida State, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Syracuse, UCLA, USF, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State and Wisconsin, among others.

Callahan Roper, sr., Marion

The Wildcats’ signal-caller will be back to help build on a successful junior campaign that saw him complete 184 of 280 passes for 2,288 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior.

Deandre Schauf, soph., Muchin College Prep (Chicago)

The youngest player on our list, Schauf stepped right in and looked the part of a veteran as a freshman for the Mountain Lions. He guided them to a 6-3 record with 1,884 yards and 16 touchdowns in only nine games.

Brody Scheffler, sr., Springfield

The Senators had some ups and downs last season and finished 5-5, but Scheffler certainly did his part at quarterback. In his first season as the starter he passed for 2,119 yards and 17 touchdowns – connecting on 59.6% of his passes (146 of 245) and averaging 14.5 yards per completion.

Ryne Sheppard, sr., Maroa-Forsyth

He led a Trojans offense that went 12-2 and scored 599 points while making it to the Class 2A state finals. Sheppard was a problem for defenses, as he completed 73% of his passes (216 of 295) for 3,331 yards, 46 touchdowns and 8 interceptions while rushing for 525 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Keller Stocks, sr., Mt. Zion

Guided the Braves to a 10-4 record in Class 4A while passing for 2,877 yards and 33 touchdowns and rushing for 665 and 9 TDs in 14 games.

Trae Taylor, jr., Carmel Catholic

This QB put the state on notice as a sophomore when he threw completed 191 of 282 passes for 3,061 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed 41 times for 342 yards and 4 TDs.

Jonas Williams, sr., Lincoln-Way East (Chicago)

A four-star prospect ranked No. 4 overall in the state by 247Sports, Williams - ranked No. 198 overall nationally - is committed to USC. A starter since his freshman year, he passed for 2,926 yards, 42 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2024 while adding 395 yards and 7 TDs on the ground.