Joe Kubal, an assistant coach at Bradley-Bourbonnais for the last 15 years, was announced as the Boilermakers next head football coach on Monday.

After a 4-5 season and a first-round playoff exit, Loyola will look to bounce back in 2026. The Ramblers will return a core group of players including junior linebacker Will Mettee and sophomore wide receiver Jordan McKinley, both Power 4 prospects.

Friday Night Drive is highlighting some of the top returning players at each position for the 2026 IHSA football season. Here are 10 of the top defensive linemen to watch as the 2026 season approaches.

Junior running back Brandon Johnson Jr. and sophomore linebacker Jack Schapendonk were each instrumental in St. Rita's run to the IHSA Class 7A state finals in the fall. The two will be key players to watch as the Mustangs prepare for 2026.

Whether on the football field or wrestling mat, Duke Mays is always active. Now, the junior is on the move again. A native of Joliet, he has returned home. The football and wrestling standout has transferred from Johnsburg to Joliet Catholic Academy.

Montini four-star junior quarterback Israel Abrams announced his commitment to Miami (FL) during a broadcast of The Pat McAfee Show Friday afternoon. Abrams threw for 4,072 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2025, leading Montini to the IHSA Class 4A state title.

Friday Night Drive is highlighting some of the top returning players at each position for the 2026 IHSA football season. Here are 10 of the top returning offensive linemen to watch as the season approaches.

Fenwick junior Jake Thies announced his commitment to Iowa on Saturday. An All-CCL/ESCC selection in 2025, Thies rushed for over 1,100 yards, recorded nearly 60 tackles and helped lead the Friars to an IHSA 6A state title.

A standout wrestler, Montini junior lineman Gavin Ericson-Staton has emerged as a three-star prospect and will be a top player for the Broncos in 2026. Blake Pohlman, a MaxPreps Freshman All-American, is a player to watch on defense.

Junior linebacker Derrick Pomatto became a two-way threat for Joliet Catholic in 2025, rushing for three touchdowns after taking on the role halfway through the season. Pomatto will be a player to watch as the Hilltoppers look to bounce back from a rare losing season.

After helping St. Laurence reach the 6A semifinals, Sean Rice holds a dozen offers from Division I programs. The junior linebacker/tight end will be a key returning player for the Vikings, who have several seniors planning to play collegiately.

After 15 seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Mike Kohl has resigned. He will remain as the school's athletic director.

Grant Foes has always had ambitions to become a head football coach one day. That dream has been put on fast forward. Foes, 23, a 2021 Princeton High School graduate and former Tiger standout, has been named as the new head coach at Kokomo High School in Indiana.

All-State running back Broden Mackert and Division I defensive line prospect Lamar Winfield are two Providence players who turned in strong junior seasons. The Celtics, who made the 5A state finals, will have 10 seniors playing collegiately.

Multiple Fenwick football players, including All-CCL/ESCC QB and CCL/ESCC White Offensive Player of the Year Jamen Williams, signed with collegiate programs during the National Signing Day period in early February.

The La Salle-Peru football team has an all new nonconference schedule for 2026, adding Springfield Lanphier, Wheaton Academy, Alton and Marquette Academy to the schedule.

The last two weeks Friday Night Drive has highlighted notable quarterbacks and running backs returning to Illinois prep gridirons next fall. This week is all about the receivers, with 10 pass-catchers to keep an eye on this coming fall.

Former Kankakee and University of Missouri standout Keagen Trost, two weeks after appearing at the NFL Scouting Combine, is getting ready for his Missouri pro day and the final steps of preparation for the NFL Draft.

This spring, we at Friday Night Drive will start looking ahead to the fall with players we are keeping our eye on. After starting with quarterbacks last week, we move our attention to the running back position this week.

It was a long and winding journey to get Rob Szudarski to his first varsity head football coaching position, but the veteran assistant is confident he can point Plainfield South in the right direction.

Several St. Francis football players, including All-CCL/ESCC and IHSFCA All-State wide receiver Dario Milivojevic, signed to continue on with collegiate programs during the National Signing Day period in early February.

Football is in Drake Davis’ blood. This week, he fulfilled a dream by landing his first head coaching job at Ottawa Marquette Academy. He said he knew Marquette was the right place for him with all of its tradition.

This spring, we at Friday Night Drive will start looking ahead to the fall with players we are keeping our eye on. Who are some of the top players to watch in 2026? We will start with the quarterbacks.

Marquette Academy on Tuesday announced Drake Davis as the next head coach for the Crusaders football program, which has been a Class 1A playoff entrant each of the past 13 postseason.

Due to low numbers in its junior and senior classes, the Fieldcrest football program will only field a JV team this coming fall.

A three-time Big Ten champion at Wisconsin and a three-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots, former NFL veteran James White is ready to embark on his next chapter as Benet's next head football coach.

Ruby Michaels started playing flag football in the third grade and went into youth tackle in the eighth grade. She then played four years for the Bruins throughout high school. The 5-foot-1 dynamo will continue her football career on the flag football team at Benedictine

Nazareth juniors Chris Kasky and Luke Injaychock have picked up several offers from Power 4 schools since the conclusion of the 2025 season. Trenton Walker, a senior and three-star prospect, has signed to play at Murray State.

The IHSA announced Friday that member schools voted to approve a proposal impacting the start date of the 2026 football season and the number of practices required per player to compete in the first contest.

The Morris Community High School Board voted on a new mascot Monday night, deciding to rename the school mascot to the Warriors.

Byron's Caden Considine, a two-time state champion and All-State player, as well as the son of former NFL defensive back Sean Considine, has earned a full-ride scholarship to continue his football career at Illinois.

Princeton's Rhett Pearson, a senior lineman, and Common Green, a senior linebacker, have given their verbal commitments to Aurora University. They will join former Princeton teammate Arthur Burden, who will be a sophomore at Aurora.

Fenwick's Jake Thies, a two-way standout whose massive postseason helped the Friars knock off East St. Louis in the IHSA 6A state championship, has planted himself on the map as a Power 4 prospect.

Glenbard West junior tight end Brady Johnson, whose dad Rob Johnson was a standout lineman and co-captain for Northwestern's 1995 Big Ten champions that played in the 1996 Rose Bowl, made his verbal commitment to Northwestern on Wednesday.

IC Catholic Prep sophomore Grant Bowen, son of former NFL player Matt Bowen, has picked up over a dozen Power 4 offers since the season ended. A standout linebacker and receiver, Bowen was named an All-State and All-CCL/ESCC player in 2025.

St. Francis junior James McGrath, an All-CCL/ESCC player who helped the Spartans win the Class 5A state championship, recently received a Division I offer from Oklahoma. A two-sport standout, McGrath is preparing for a bigger role as a senior.

Rochelle senior Roman Villalobos, an IHSFCA All-State running back with over 2,800 career rushing yards, has committed to play football at North Central College. "I've wanted to go to North Central since I was a little kid."

IHSA member schools voted in favor of expansion for the state football playoffs, adding 128 teams to the postseason this fall by a statewide vote of member schools in December by a tally of 377-252, But the schools who voted later found there was a little catch.

Carmel junior quarterback and Nebraska recruit Trae Taylor announced that he will transfer to Millard South High School in Omaha for his senior football season. Taylor threw for 3,571 yards and 38 touchdowns with 12 rushing touchdowns in 2025.

Several CCL/ESCC athletes, including FND Defensive Player of the Year Kameron McGee and FND Offensive Player of the Year Israel Abrams, were selected to the 2025 MaxPreps All-American Teams.

From aiding Illinois State’s run to the FCS National Championship game to earning spots on all-conference teams for the SEC and Big Ten, several Kankakee County area football figures made their mark on the 2025-26 college football season.

Rochelle's Dylan Manning, who collapsed on the sideline after suffering a severe head injury during the team's varsity football game at Morris on Oct. 3, recently underwent a successful cranioplasty and is home from Loyola Medical Center.

Richmond-Burton junior Blake Livdahl, an all-state linebacker who helped lead the Rockets to the Class 3A semifinals, has had his wrestling season come to an end after tearing his right ACL. He was a state runner-up wrester as a sophomore.

Benet senior wide receiver Luke Doyle, a two-time All-CCL/ESCC player and the 2025 CCL/ESCC Purple Offensive Player of the Year, has committed to play football at Division I FCS Lafayette College.

After a recent passed proposal to expand the football playoffs and extend the season by a week changed the preseason calendar, the IHSA has called a special board meeting to consider moving the start of preseason practice back to accommodate for more time to prepare.

Dixon High School announced on Wednesday night that assistant Brad Winterland has been hired as its new head football coach.

Four Bureau County’s collegiate football players went bowling at the end of season - Spring Valley’s Mac Resetich (Illinois) and Princeton’s Noah LaPorte (Northwestern), Teegan Davis (Iowa) and Drew Harp (North Central College).

Dixon's Jared Shaner felt like it was time to step down after a successful run leading the Dukes' football team.

Oswego football coach Brian Cooney, who helped lead the Panthers to the Class 8A state championship game this past fall, has been selected to coach in the prestigious Navy All-American Bowl on Jan. 10 in San Antonio.

With the 2025-26 Early Signing Period over, we’re taking a brief look at some of the top 2028 prospects in the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference. Here are some notable prospects to watch for as the 2025-26 offseason progresses.