The old adage of “iron sharpens iron” is true for St. Francis lineman and Lindenwood recruit Jaylen Torres.

As a freshman starter on the defensive line three years ago, Torres competed in practice against former Spartan and three-time All-State lineman T.J. McMillen, who now plays for the University of Illinois.

“I was going against T.J. the whole time and ever since freshman year, that set the standard for me,” Torres said. “Everything he would do in practice, I would mimic and carry on in the years after. We would do one-on-ones and he would beat me, but instead of just beating me, he would give me pointers on how to get better. It made me strive to beat him in those one-on-ones.”

Those battles against McMillen, son of St. Francis head coach Bob McMillen, enabled Torres to make an immediate impact for the Spartan defense during his freshman season, when he totaled 51 tackles and 26 solo tackles.

With Torres fighting in the trenches, St. Francis went 11-2 and reached the Class 4A state semifinals, where the Spartans fell 17-14 against Providence.

“He’s so explosive off the ball and he’s so powerful,” Bob McMillen said. “He has great leverage because of his wrestling background. He was good last year and this year, he’s taken it to another level. He’s taking over games and he’s getting double and triple-teamed a majority of the time he’s on the field, but he’s still making plays for us. That really shows his growth.”

Now a senior, Torres has ascended to being a two-way star on the offensive and defensive lines. Torres, who has played left and right guard during his career at St. Francis, has nine pancake blocks through seven games this season. Moreover, Torres has been a gamebreaker for the Spartan defense, posting 46 tackles, eight sacks and seven tackles for loss at nose guard.

“The most important thing that has come from Jaylen this year has been his leadership,” McMillen said. “I think a lot of guys are following his lead and how hard he’s working on the field. For these younger guys, they have seen Jaylen’s development from freshman year until now. He started for us on varsity as a freshman and he’s developed and gotten better every year.”

An All-CCL honoree and the CCL Green Division’s Lineman of the Year in 2024, Torres has the Spartans in prime position to clinch an automatic playoff berth and return to the postseason for the seventh time in eight years, with the lone exclusion being the shortened COVID season.

Torres said that a new slogan has inspired the team to push harder this season.

“We go by F.E.D. which means Forget Every Doubter,” Torres said. “When we practice, we have the mentality to strive to get better every day so we can prove the doubters wrong. That’s translated to us playing well on Fridays. We have playmakers everywhere on offense and we find the openings when teams overcommit on one of our playmakers... Our defense goes full speed in practice and that translates to the game. We just go out and ball.”

St. Francis (5-2, 1-1 CCL/ESCC Green) can lock up a playoff spot with a win against DePaul Prep on Friday evening. Currently the No. 4 ranked team in 5A, St. Francis has advanced to the state semifinals in each of the last three years, but the Spartans have been unable to reach the championship game.

Could this be the year St. Francis breaks through? Torres said he thinks so.

“We have to win state,” Torres said. “That’s our No. 1 goal, but we also want to make sure we play together as a team. This is the year. We have a new slogan this year and everyone’s mentality is just different this year. We’re striving to prove everyone wrong. The experience should help us because most teams that don’t make the playoffs aren’t used to playing in the cold and maybe the lights are too bright. We’re used to being in the playoffs.”

Torres has racked up 212 tackles, 26 hurries, 16 tackles for loss and 11 sacks over his four-year varsity career. A two-sport athlete who started wrestling and playing football around the age of 5, Torres has looked up to NFL players like J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald. Torres, who holds a max squat of 650 pounds, said his techniques have evolved since his freshman year.

“I try to model my game after Aaron Donald because he used his hands a lot and he wasn’t as tall as the other D-linemen,” Torres said. “Freshman year, all I would do is bull rush people because I was bigger than them when I played youth football. Now, our defensive line coach and I go over all kinds of moves like swipes, rips and swims. I’ve fine-tuned my pass rush skills.”

The eight sacks this season are a career-high for Torres, who’s also on pace to achieve personal bests in solo tackles and tackles for loss. Torres, whose wrestling career at St. Francis includes two IHSA state medals and All-CCL honors last year, said the skills he’s developed in the mat room are helping him on the football field, specifically with his stance and gaining leverage.

“I started wrestling the same age that I started football,” Torres said. “From my sophomore year to my senior year, I started implementing some of the wrestling into my pass rush moves. It also helps me stay low in my stance.”

Growing up near Waubonsie Valley, Torres looked up to his brother Antonio, a football and wrestling standout who went on to wrestle at SIU-Edwardsville. As Torres watched his older brother make plays throughout middle school and high school, he became inspired to become a playmaker in his own way. Torres will look to continue making plays at Lindenwood, an FCS program.

“Lindenwood is getting a kid who will come out and make a statement right away,” McMillen said. “He’s going to want to get on the field early and he’s worked his butt off in the weight room since the offseason. He’s a 700-pound deadlifter who’s so strong in the lower half. He’s going to push the guys around him and he’s going to make the guys across from him better.”

During a summer scouting camp earlier this year, Torres drew the attention of college scouts, receiving offers from both Southeast Missouri State and Lindenwood. Torres committed to Lindenwood in July and has formed a bond with the coaching staff and current players. The 6-foot-1, 300-pounder said he intends to study finance and play defensive line at Lindenwood.

“I really liked their facilities and the environment there,” said Torres, whose goals for improvement on defense include tracking the football and chasing players down. “I talk to the coaches every three or four days and we’ll check in and see how we’re doing. I already know some people on the team.”

Torres, whose interests outside of sports include playing guitar, said his favorite football moments at St. Francis include scoring a touchdown during the team’s first-round playoff victory against Sterling last year. As the Spartans close in on another potential postseason bid this year, Torres said the team’s energy level and focus will be two keys to success.

“Our mentality is to get better at every practice,” Torres said. “We need to keep our energy high and have enthusiasm.”