Montini junior quarterback Israel Abrams is building an impressive football resume.

Abrams, who transferred from St. Viator to Montini after his freshman season, is already among the elite quarterbacks in the country.

His goal is to be among the best all-time in state history.

With a 24-0 record as a starter and piloting the Broncos to back-to-back state championships, Abrams is working his way up the record books. Abrams, a four-star recruit with multiple Power Four offers, admitted he would love to close out his storied career with a 38-0 record, which would ensure a third straight state title for the Broncos.

“It’s crazy to think of 38 wins in a row,” Abrams said. “I may have that chance. I just stay humble and work hard. My family, my teammates and my team have helped me get to this place. We’ve all worked together as a team over the last two years and picked each other up. I want to win another state championship.

“If I get that, that helps my case 100% to be one of the better quarterbacks in Illinois state history, like several past quarterbacks such as J.J. McCarthy.”

Abrams, the 2025 Suburban Life Player of the Year, is excited to add to his growing state legacy, capping off his sensational season by completing 233 of 340 passes for 4,072 yards and 40 touchdowns, while tossing just six interceptions. He ran for 224 yards and 10 touchdowns to be named the MVP of the CCL White Division.

In his first full season as a starter, Abrams lived up to his vast potential by leading the Broncos (14-0) to the Class 4A state championship. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Abrams, a 4A all-state selection, completed 20 of 32 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns and scored a rushing TD to power the Broncos to a 47-33 victory over Rochester in the 4A final on Nov. 28 at Hancock Stadium.

“My goal always has been to win every game I can,” Abrams said. “I hate losing and will try and do everything I can to win. I’m blessed to be in this position. I definitely can’t say that I thought I would be in this position when I started my career. It’s cool too see when you put all your chips in one basket and reap the fruit of your labor.”

Montini coach Mike Bukovsky was happy to see Abrams enroll at Montini.

Still, even the veteran multi-sport coach, such as Bukovky, couldn’t have predicted Abrams’ impact on the Broncos. After winning the Class 6A state title in 2015, the Broncos endured a title drought until Abrams led the team to the 3A state crown last season.

To this day, Bukovsky said Abrams made a big impression on his during their first meeting when he was a freshman at St. Viator. Bukovsky said he was fully aware of Abrams’ physical talents and long-range potential, but his poise, confidence and mental makeup caught him by surprise for someone so young.

“I was immediately impressed with his maturity,” Bukovsky said. “He was looking into several factors in terms of choosing a school. My job is in admissions, so I talk to a lot of kids who want to come here.

“When he got there, he was a team guy. He took it all in stride and never wanted any special treatment. He was a very supportive teammate and handled coming off the bench. That was an indicator to me about his maturity. He wasn’t entitled when he got here. He took everything in stride and developed. He’s a very infectious personality, a bundle of energy, poised and calm. He goes out of his way to help other players. He never makes it about himself.”

Abrams, a captain, is not shy about the spotlight – for it comes with the position. But Abrams prides himself on being a team-first player, spreading positivity to his teammates and providing support and encouragement while crediting them for his success.

“Good leaders don’t always have to tell people what to do,” Abrams said. “You can listen and command. Captains can look like a bunch of different things, like staying after practice and putting the balls in the bag. I’ve had some really bad games, but my teammates have picked me up, or the defense played great.”

After last season’s meteoric rise, Abrams worked on his game during the offseason to handle the pressure of being the focal point of opposing defenses. Bukovsky said Abrams made a big jump this season.

“This year one of the things is he’s very elite in his ability to extend plays,” Bukovsky said. “Some of his best play or highlights are when he runs around and retraces steps does things back in the pocket. The unsung thing is the way he climbs the pocket and navigates within the pocket.

“He has the ability to keep his vision downfield, which to me, for a high school quarterback, that’s the separator. He can see the field and move at the same time. He’s got so much better at that this year.

“His arm strength is off the charts. I’ve been around a lot of high school and college coaches. They all say it’s rare to see someone his age with his arm strength.”

Abrams admitted he was excited to showcase a new and improved version of himself for his junior season.

“I get it a lot about how slight I am and how I throw the ball,” he said. “I just keep practicing and constantly am throwing the ball, almost like the same thing by practicing hitting a baseball. I worked on my pocket presence and reading defenses.”

Next up for Abrams is narrowing down his long list of college suitors. His list of offers is approaching 20 schools, with Indiana, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Northwestern, Mississippi State and Kentucky among his offers.

“I’ve got a few new schools on the list,” Abrams said. “Auburn, Duke, USC and Texas have been more active.”

Bukovsky said he’s happy to have one more season with Abrams under center for his program. Bukovsky said Abrams is among the elite quarterbacks in state history.

“There’s so much hype surrounded around a lot of players, especially at quarterback,” Bukovsky said. “The separator at quarterback is that he has two state titles. That’s the ultimate measure of a winner. He’s a winner. That’s the best stat.”