Illinois high school football power could be best version originally appeared on The Sporting News
Mount Carmel High School has captured 16 Illinois high school state football championships all-time. But the 2025 version of the Caravan just might be the best one yet.
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In all, Mount Carmel features eight players who have received offers to Power 5 college programs, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times. That group includes defensive players Joey Quinn, Roman Igwebuike, Braeden Jones, Tavares Harrington and Caleb Tucker.
From the offense, Quentin Burrell, Marshaun Thornton and Claude Mpouma have all Power 5 offers.
Of those eight, three have committed with Quinn going to Vanderbilt, Jones to Southern Cal and Mpouma to Nebraska. Quinn, Jones and Tucker are all defensive linemen, Igwebuike is a linebacker, Harrington a defensive back, Burrell and Thornton are wide receivers, and Mpouma an offensive lineman.
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Burrell holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan while Thornton, just a sophomore, has already received over 20 offers.
“There are so many expectations now that we have to be even more intense in practice,” Jones said. “You see that with the players and the coaches every day. It’s a new, even higher standard.”
At the controls of the offensive attack will be first-year starter Emmett Dowling, as the senior played in 11 games with one start last season. He threw for over 300 yards and five touchdowns, and comes from a family lineage at Mount Carmel that includes his father and brother, who was on the 2022 state title team as the starting quarterback.
The three-time defending Class 7A state champions will be playing up a classification this year, as they look look for title No. 17 in 8A.
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Mount Carmel opens the season on August 30 vs. Cincinnati Moeller in Ironton, Ohio. They have matchups with the likes of Joliet Catholic and Loyola in October.
