As season nears, Chicago-area high school football recruits look beyond ‘the cool stuff’ in scholarship search

It’s the wheel that keeps turning.

High school football traditionally dominates the headlines from August through November, but those days have turned into extra months now due to the recruiting process.

Before the 2023-24 season heats up with the first day of practice in Indiana on Monday and in Illinois on Aug. 7, we checked in with some of the top recruits in the Chicago Tribune’s suburban coverage areas.

From A to Z — or in our case, from Austin Alexander to Luke Williams — let’s look at their stories.

Austin Alexander, Marian Catholic

Senior defensive back Austin Alexander made his decision in June when he committed to Kansas. But looking back at the recruiting process, the Marian Catholic standout wishes he would have approached it a bit differently at the start.

“It was fun, but I learned a lot,” Alexander said. “If I had to do it all over again, I would know what to look out for and not what to look out for. I had a lot offers and I tried to visit a lot of schools, but I wasn’t looking for the right things at first.

“When I first started, I was looking at who had the best facilities, the best uniforms, stuff like that. The cool stuff. When it came down to my decision, I started looking at coaches’ personalities.”

Alexander was originally committed to Wisconsin before reopening his recruitment in January. He said when things got serious, Kansas stood out.

“You have to ask, ‘Are they going to treat me how they’re treating me now when I get there?’” Alexander said. “Some people put on a show. They’re trying to sell you instead of being themselves.

“A lot of coaches are not consistent, but (Kansas coaches) were the most consistent. They were one of the places that recruited me the best. I love what they had to offer.”

Rivals.com rates Alexander as a three-star recruit and the No. 25 player in Illinois in the 2024 class.

Marian Catholic coach Nick Lopez said Alexander’s ability to push others has helped the Spartans get better.

“It’s the competitiveness on the field and the high demand that he expects from his teammates,” Lopez said. “His athletic ability is second to none, but I think that competitiveness is what really drives him.”

Andre Lovett, Eisenhower

Andre Lovett heads into his junior season at Eisenhower with 13 Division I offers, including from the Big Ten’s Illinois, Iowa and Purdue, and Missouri and Tennessee of the SEC.

The offer list should continue to pile up for Lovett, a junior who plays defensive back, receiver and running back and returns kicks for the Cardinals. He is ranked as the No. 10 player in Illinois in the 2025 class by Rivals.com.

“I want a place that makes me feel at home,” Lovett said. “I want to be under the right staff to get me to the next level. The opportunity to get early playing time is a big thing. I want a team that’s going to give me a chance to get on the field.”

Lovett said Eisenhower’s opponents are going to see an improved version.

“My speed — that’s going to scare a lot of people,” he said. “It’s going to surprise them. Track has helped me a lot with my speed. It helped me learn how to run straight. I know how to run the right way now.

“My speed, my strength and the way I read plays on defense are my strengths. I know how to pick up on the plays, if it’s a run or a pass, pretty quickly.”

Lovett likely projects as a defensive player in college.

“Right now, he’s getting recruited as an athlete, but he’s a defensive guy,” Eisenhower coach Sheamus Murphy said. “I think his development and growth over the next year here will tell a lot. Right now, I think he’s a safety. He definitely has the ability to play cornerback and nickel as well. A lot of 4-2-5 teams are recruiting him to play like that hybrid linebacker, nickelback-type spot.

“Being a three-sport athlete, a 3.0 GPA guy, he checks a lot of boxes from a character standpoint, academically and obviously as a football player.”

Nate Marshall, Fenwick

The major offers started rolling in at a rapid rate for Fenwick’s Nate Marshall.

The junior defensive tackle picked up offers in April from Tennessee and Notre Dame, in May from Miami and Wisconsin and in June from Alabama.

He has offers from 17 schools.

“At first, it was really overwhelming because it was new to me,” Marshall said. “Now I’m starting to get used to it a little bit.”

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Marshall knows his size is appealing to college coaches, and he plans to keep going in that department.

“I feel like I can still get way bigger,” he said. “In the past, I wasn’t in the weight room as much as I am now. I feel like that’s going to be an extra part of my game that coaches haven’t seen yet with the strength I’ve gained over time.”

Marshall also plans to take a new attitude to the field with him.

“Last year, I wasn’t much of a leader, but this year I’m definitely going to step it up,” he said. “My junior year, I need to be that leader. I’m going to be more aggressive this year too — way more aggressive.”

Marshall is rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 5 player in Illinois in the 2025 class.

If he continues on his current trajectory, he will likely be able to choose from just about any college in the country. So what is he looking for?

“I care about academics,” he said. “The people that I’m surrounding myself with, and most importantly the team and how they work together, how the coaches work with the players, how the players work with each other, how they treat each other and stuff like that.”

Julian Johnson, Waubonsie Valley

Joe Klanderman called it. Waubonsie Valley senior Julian Johnson lived it.

Klanderman, the defensive coordinator at Kansas State, was one of the first college recruiters to sit down last December with Johnson and Waubonsie Valley coach Tom Baumgartner.

“He told Julian how it was gonna go,” Baumgartner said.

Very soon, Johnson’s phone rang and scholarship offers followed. Klanderman predicted that Johnson would be a blue-chipper in the recruiting process.

The second son of former college athletes Brian (track) and Montrine (basketball), Johnson has grown to be a 6-5 1/2, 230-pound tight end, defensive end and outside linebacker who can run a 4.7-second 40-yard dash.

Baumgartner said the numbers are legit, and Johnson thinks 4.7 will be 4.6 sooner rather than later.

Johnson had watched his brother Jalen — older by two years — go through a somewhat different recruiting process as a Metea Valley senior.

“Because of COVID, Jalen wasn’t allowed to make visits to schools interested in him,” Julian said. “It’s cool that I was able to go to a lot of places last fall and visit campuses on game days.”

Jalen, a 6-3 wide receiver, did well, however. He’s a redshirt freshman at Northern Illinois.

Julian switched schools when District 204 did its periodic adjustment of boundaries, pushing the Johnson home into Waubonsie Valley territory.

“It was obviously a great addition for us,” Baumgartner said. “I felt bad for (Metea coach) John Parpet, though.”

Both teams struggled last season. Metea finished 1-8, with the Mustangs’ only victory coming against winless Waubonsie.

Johnson’s season was cut short in the sixth week when he suffered a concussion.

“Wise to play it safe,” Baumgartner said.

The calls did come, though. By the first week of May, when Purdue offered, Johnson had 14 offers, with Texas A&M, Minnesota, Boston College, Iowa, Rutgers and Indiana among the suitors.

On May 9, he committed to Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, a Kaneland and Northern Illinois graduate.

“They recruited me as a tight end, and that’s how I marketed myself,” Johnson said. “I love coach Fleck’s energy, and I really like how they stressed they are a development program that will take guys and develop them.”

Johnson hopes to graduate after the first semester and begin classes at Minnesota in January, allowing him to take part in spring practice.

Jake Furtney, St. Charles North

Every college commitment for athletics comes with its own set of challenges.

When that commitment is to a service academy, however, it comes with another level of challenges.

That was on the mind of St. Charles North’s Jake Furtney when the senior tight end committed to go to the U.S. Military Academy and play for Army.

“I want to play at a high level of football,” Furtney said. “I know I can play at the highest level. What stood out to me are the opportunities after football. That’s what I want.

“The brotherhood, that’s completely real, and that’s amazing. That’s something I want to be a part of.”

North Stars coach Rob Pomazak has always preached to his players that a college commitment is four for 40 — meaning it’s a decision for four years that will set up the next 40 years of your life.

But committing to Army?

“It’s definitely bigger than a normal commitment because it’s a life decision,” Pomazak said. “You’re choosing a different path. I give him all the credit in the world. He did his due diligence.”

Helping Furtney with any questions about his choice was St. Charles North alum Paolo Gennarelli. Gennarelli is an offensive lineman at Army.

“I’ve talked to Paolo a lot,” Furtney said. “I know he really does enjoy it there. He gave me everything there is to know about it. He’s a good friend. He’s someone I know will give me the truth.”

Committing to play in college is nothing new for the Furtney family. Furtney’s sister, Megan, played golf for four seasons at Duke and is a graduate transfer at Minnesota. His brother, Ben, plays football at Purdue.

“The best thing I learned from those two was not just the work, but the mindset you have to have,” Jake said.

Another draw for the 6-5, 240-pound Furtney is the fact Army is ditching its familiar triple-option offense for the shotgun. Pomazak thinks that will suit Furtney’s game.

“That was a big selling point for him,” Pomazak said. “He steps on a football field and he’s a difference-maker. I’m continually impressed with his ability to dominate.

“He’s been the best player on the field at every camp we’ve been to this summer.”

Luke Williams, Naperville North

Naperville North’s Luke Williams didn’t have to go far to receive guidance when making his college decision.

In fact, he didn’t leave his house. Williams, a star wide receiver and safety, is surrounded by accomplished athletes.

His father, Cedric, played receiver at Louisiana Tech, and his older brother, Zeke, is a cornerback who recently transferred to Purdue after playing his freshman year at Northern Illinois. Williams’ mother, Rhonda, played volleyball at Grambling.

“My dad and my brother are obviously a big part of my support circle,” Williams said. “They were telling me, ‘I know it’s a big decision, but we trust you that you’re going to make the right decision for yourself.’”

Williams had offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Purdue, Utah, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

After narrowing it down to Purdue and Illinois, Williams committed to Purdue in June.

“There wasn’t a wrong decision,” he said. “Both of them are great schools, so it was just a mater of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, and (his father and brother) always supporting me behind that.”

Williams played two seasons with his brother for the Huskies. While he’s thrilled they will be teammates again, he was leaning toward the Boilermakers even before Zeke transferred.

“I had a better connection with more of their coaching staff,” Williams said. “I was out there in January and February a couple times, and I came to spring practice. I was getting to know the coaches better.”

Williams also was recruited for basketball. He was Naperville North’s leading scorer last season. But he always knew he would play football in college.

The 6-0, 177-pound Williams was an all-area pick as a receiver last season, his third on varsity, when he caught 42 passes for 614 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 30 tackles and three interceptions as a safety, which he expects to play for the Boilermakers.

“They want me to play safety,” he said. “I think I like the defensive side more than offense — tackling, getting picks and pick-sixes. I just feel there’s more energy and it’s more fun.”

Jaden Hart, Michigan City

Of all the things that Michigan City running back Jaden Hart encountered during his recruiting process, one that stood out the most was the celebrity-like treatment at every school.

“It’s an experience like no other,” he said. “You get first-class treatment at every school recruiting you, and you get to talk to a bunch of great coaches that most people in your area would dream of talking to.”

Before Hart committed to Syracuse in June, his list of visits included Iowa, Duke and Minnesota. He appreciated the accommodations associated with those trips.

“They fly you out, they fly you back home, they pay for every meal you eat, the room service — everything,” Hart said. “You’re just being treated great.”

But the recruiting process wasn’t all about luxury for Hart. The constant stream of phone calls and messages from programs, along with the mental strain of frequent trips out of town, made for a frenetic period of his life.

“It’s still very stressful,” he said. “It comes with all of those great things, but you understand that, at the end of the day, it’s business. And all of that stuff is going to come to an end.”

Hart cited his relationship with Syracuse running backs coach Mike Lynch and how quickly he could be on the field as primary reasons for committing to the Orange.

Although it wasn’t a specific goal, Hart was relieved to have a decision made before the start of his final high school season.

“I was thinking about committing midseason,” he said. “But once I took my visit there, I knew it was the place I wanted to be.”

With that hectic process behind him, Hart found time to unwind this summer by exploring a few new hobbies.

“I’ve picked up fishing and bowling,” he said. “I’ve been having fun with that.”

Brandon Hansen, Mundelein

It’s not that Mundelein’s Brandon Hansen disliked being recruited.

However, once it became clear that Illinois offered everything the offensive lineman sought, there was no reason to continue the process any further.

Thus, Hansen’s commitment last November served a dual purpose. It not only defined his path forward but also assured him of a stress-free conclusion to his high school career.

“Getting recruited was a cool experience, for sure,” he said. “But I don’t like having to travel everywhere, and I was glad that all the visits and camps could be over. That’s not my style.”

Hansen’s style centers around bettering himself.

With no games since his junior season ended, Hansen has continued fine-tuning his 6-6, 325-pound frame. And sure enough, he already ranks first in program history in all six major lifting categories.

“What he does with the team, that’s only the minimum,” Mundelein coach Vince DeFrancesco said. “The training he does outside of here is what sets him apart.”

Becoming a popular commodity in recruiting circles also did.

Because Hansen’s decision came so early in the 2024 cycle — as Illinois’ first commitment for that class — he had just five firm offers on the table.

There was interest, though, from a multitude of other schools, including those from the Big Ten, ACC, SEC and MAC.

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But Hansen told DeFrancesco he didn’t want to hear from anyone else after pledging to Illinois.

“A lot of schools tried to get me to flip, but Illinois had built such a good relationship with me,” Hansen said.

The early commitment also allowed Hansen to change from recruit to recruiter. That process played out in earnest during the June 23-25 official visit he finally took to Champaign.

“That part has been really cool because I’ve been able to give guys a teenager’s standpoint that they know is genuine,” Hansen said. “They ask me questions, and I’m just honest with them.”

Because Hansen’s college plans solidified so early, he’ll be able to graduate in December from Mundelein, allowing him to be on Illinois’ campus in January for a jump-start on college life.

“I’ve always hated the offseason, but that will allow me to have football year-round,” he said. “There will be a big learning curve, but I’ll be ready to handle anything they throw at me.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter. Staff reporter Rick Armstrong and freelance reporters Paul Johnson, Matt Le Cren, Dave Melton and Steve Reaven contributed.