Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove highlights the five best Midwest region prospects that he watched in-person this fall, highlighted by players living up to the promise they showed as underclassmen and a couple of future stars in the making.
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The Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius five-star has become the player I dreamed he could be when first seeing him at a practice just a few short weeks into his high school football career. Scott’s upside was obvious at the time, but he was new to football and there were still questions as to how far he would take his talents.
The Ohio State commit’s night was short lived on that Friday due to a high-ankle sprain but it was amazing to see everything come full circle just a couple short years after seeing him put on the pads for the first time. Scott looked like an NFL player trotting on a field of talented high school athletes and has become everything we hoped he could be and more.
*****
The four-star Arkansas commit was one of many players on a phenomenal St. Louis (Mo.) Cardinal Ritter team capable of being mentioned here. I knew Parker was good going into the game, but it takes seeing him live and in person on a Friday night to actually realize how impactful of a player he is.
Parker can do it all and makes it look easy while doing it. The talented athlete ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, sprinkled in a few catches along the way and proved capable of beating a defense in multiple ways. I left the game knowing that he is a future star in the making.
*****
I knew the future Wisconsin commit had a chance to be special when I first saw him at a camp following his freshman season, but I expected him to make his mark as a defensive back opposed to becoming one of the nation’s best all-purpose running backs that he is today.
Dupree erased any doubts about the caliber of player he is during a week one matchup against a very talented East. St. Louis football team. He is a slippery runner with incredible vision, burst, ball skills and some of the best balance I’ve ever seen in a young back. As good as he is now, and as far as he has come since I first saw him, I believe he will make an even bigger impact at the college level.
*****
The Geneva (Ill.) four-star caught my attention as a sophomore and then made a name for himself on the 7-on-7 circuit with his big-time play against elite talent during the offseason. That promise carried over to the field during his junior season and he has now become one of the most sought after receivers in the nation.
While he didn’t put up mind blowing numbers during the game I was at, it was clear to all in attendance that Taylor was on a different level than every other player on the field. His combination of size, long speed and precise route running are absolutely elite and he is only scratching the surface of the player he will eventually become. There was one point during the game where Taylor ran a route that didn’t end up on the stat sheet, but was truly special. Taylor has offers from elite programs such as Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama and is undoubtedly one of the best regardless of position in his class.
*****
I went to Saint Louis (Mo.) University High to see Ryan Wingo in the days leading up to his commitment. The five-star Texas commit proved to be every bit as good as advertised, but there was also an unexpected future star in the making, so I’ll go with him in this spot. That player was none other than Harris.
Harris is a young defensive equivalent to what Wingo displayed as a receiver at the same age and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for him. Harris is a jack of all trades who can run, hit, disrupt and make game-changing plays even when the ball is not in his hands.
He already has double-digit offers coming from the likes of Oregon, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee and this is just the beginning of what will be one of the most highly contested 2026 recruitments in the region.
