5 Daily Journal-area players to watch in 2025

The Daily Journal area has been in a bit of a football golden age in recent years, with standout players leading their programs to newfound heights before blazing trails at the college level. And when the Friday night lights return in August, that’s expected to continue.

New head coaches will pace the sidelines at Bishop McNamara, Kankakee and Central. Several seniors who achieved individual success and team greatness will have graduated, but the talent cupboard will be anything but empty when the 2025 season rolls around.

Out of the 28 Daily Journal All-Area selections last season, eight of them were juniors and two were sophomores. Additionally, six special mention honorees and 10 honorable mention picks will be back on local gridirons next fall.

Here are five of those returning stars to keep an extra close eye on as next season approaches.

Lyzale Edmon, Bradley-Bourbonnais

Class: 2026

Position: WR/DB

The only junior to make the 2024 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 7A All-State first team, Edmon already has one of the highest profiles not just in the area, but in the state. Offensively, Edmon served as the top passing option for BBCHS quarterback Gavin Kohl last season with 29 receptions for 489 yards (fifth in the 11-Man area) and eight touchdowns (second in the 11-Man area), but that’s just the beginning of Edmon’s talents.

As a cornerback, Edmon had three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and as a special teams ace added a handful of kick and punt return touchdowns to give him 14 total touchdowns over his junior campaign. His recruiting profile is just starting to take shape, as Ohio University just gave him his first NCAA Division I offer earlier this month. But as he looks to make it three straight trips to the Class 3A Track and Field State Finals this spring, expect that recruiting portfolio to get really thick really fast.

Kyren Edmon, Bradley-Bourbonnais

Class: 2028

Position: RB

Baby brother to Lyzale, Kyren was thrust immediately into the varsity spotlight as a freshman last fall, firmly entrenching himself in a deep Boilermakers' backfield. As part of a three-headed committee with Kenvontae Sutton and Isaac Allison, the latter of whom is also returning, Kyren became the first freshman in school history to lead the team in rushing, tallying 620 yards and nine touchdowns (T-10th in 11-Man area) on 91 carries.

The day before Lyzale received his first scholarship offer from Ohio, baby brother announced his own first official offer, coming from Ole Miss. He’ll likely be on a relay team or two with Lyzale on the track this spring, and also like his older brother, Kyren will likely see plenty of more high-level programs reaching out by the time the football season rolls around.

Cedric Terrell III, Kankakee

Class: 2026

Position: QB/WR/DB

Wherever he was at on the field last fall, Terrell III simply made plays. Shuffling between wide receiver, backup quarterback duties and even some snaps as a running back, Terrell III was 11-for-13 passing for 218 yards and four touchdowns, turned 33 carries into 173 yards and five touchdowns and hauled in 24 catches for 245 yards and a score. He added another pair of touchdowns in the return game and picked off a pair of passes in the secondary.

As the Kays start a new chapter in program history after Miles Osei was named the new head coach at Evanston Township last month, they’ll look to continue their newfound standard of excellence of the best five-year stretch in school history they’ve put together. And wherever he lines up, Terrell III will clearly be a protagonist in that next chapter.

Erick Castillo, Momence

Class: 2026

Position: QB/LB

By the end of his freshman season, Castillo was the unquestioned starting QB at Momence, and by the end of his junior season last fall, he already cemented his legacy as one of the school’s most electric signal-callers ever. His 1,814 passing yards last year led the area and his 18 touchdown passes led the 11-Man area as Momence went 8-2 and spent a chunk of the season receiving statewide recognition in the Class 2A Associated Press Poll.

Through his first three seasons, Castillo has amassed 4,464 passing yards and thrown 46 touchdown passes. He’ll have to lock in on a new favorite target, as all-state receiver Brogan Halpin graduates in May, but as he enters his senior season, no quarterbacks in the area and few quarterbacks in the state will boast the combination of experience and talent that Castillo does.

Ryan Kettman, Wilmington

Class: 2026

Position: RB/DB

As a backfield co-star with Kyle Farrell, the school’s all-time leading rusher, each of the past two seasons, Kettman will return in 2025 as the area’s top returning rusher. He amassed 1,431 rushing yards (second in the 11-Man area) and 18 touchdowns (T-3rd in 11-Man area) while serving as the 1-B to Farrell’s 1-A, and while he’s going to be in the backfield without one of his best friends next fall, Farrell’s upcoming graduation will mean more carries and more defensive attention on Kettman.

The Wildcats have been one of the state’s most elite small-school programs for about three full decades. If hall-of-fame coach Jeff Reents and company can extend their playoff streak to 29 and claim a fifth state championship in the past five years, Kettman will have become the next all-time great Wilmington running back.