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USC QB commit sets Illinois high school football passing record

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by: Keegan Pope15 hours agobykeeganpope
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(Photo by Chad Simmons/Rivals)

Jonas Williams has officially cemented his name in the Illinois high school football record books.

On Friday night, the Lincoln-Way East star quarterback threw his 128th career touchdown pass early in the first quarter, breaking the state record previously held by Jordan Roberts of Aurora (2005-08) and Tyler Hutchinson of Greenville (2012-14).

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has been a starter since he took the field as a freshman, beginning his career at Bolingbrook before transferring to Lincoln-Way East after his sophomore season.

As a freshman in his first year of high school football, Williams threw for more than 2,700 yards and 37 touchdowns. He followed that up as a sophomore with a campaign where he amassed more than 3,100 passing yards and 33 scores while dealing with injuries throughout the season.

But his junior campaign was where he truly broke out, leading Lincoln-Way East to a 12-1 record and the semifinals of the Illinois 8A state playoffs. He did so while completing 68 percent of his passes for 2,926 yards with 42 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

He tied the career touchdown passes a week ago in a blowout win, and did it while only playing the first half. Ever the focused competitor, he was already looking forward to this game and winning it with his team.

“It’s a big deal,” Williams told the Will Cook County News. “It means a lot, but its not my main goal, I have a lot of other things to focus on, and I’m really just locked in on winning.”

Williams one of the headliners of USC’s No. 1 class

He has been a household name on the recruiting trail for some time due to the record-setting success he’s had, and Williams drew offers from across the country. He made an early commitment to Oregon in August 2024, providing a huge boost for Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his staff.

But Oregon was also looking to add a second quarterback, targeting five-stars Jared Curtis and Ryder Lyons. While that was happening, USC ramped up its pursuit of Williams and eventually got him to L.A. for a visit.

In February, he flipped his commitment to the Trojans and their No. 1 recruiting class. He has been one of the headliners of the group since then, alongside five-stars Mark Bowman, Keenyi Pepe and Luke Wafle. Once his senior year is over, Williams will head out to Los Angeles and enroll early with the Trojans.

He also could knock down a few more records, too. Entering the season, he has totaled 8,859 passing yards across his three seasons. The state’s career passing yardage mark sits at 11,190 — meaning he would need to throw for only 2,300 yards this season to break it. While his official stats this year aren’t available, it would be shocking to not see that record fall after he has thrown for no less than 2,700 yards each of his first three years.