In an era of football where many teams rely on flashy passing and a wide attack strategy, running backs still hold a special place.
Nothing makes the clock pass so quickly and keeps an opponent off the field like an efficient, if not powerful, running game, and that will continue to be the case throughout the 2024 Ohio high school football season. Kentrell Rinehart proved that last fall as a junior, when he got the majority of his 3,000 all-purpose yards on the ground in leading Ready to the Division IV, Region 15 semifinals, and hopes to do the same this fall at Westland.
And there are still teams for whom the Wing-T and I formation is their daily bread.
Several other running backs in Central Ohio continue to make a name for themselves and expect this to happen again in the coming months.
Here are the top 10 running backs in Central Ohio, according to The Dispatch, in alphabetical order:
Gerald Banks, Pickerington Central
Vital signs: 5 feet 7 inches, 190 pounds, senior.
The college offers: Mercyhurst, Ohio Dominicans
The Division II honorable mention senior and All-State honoree will help carry the load in the Tigers’ talented backfield after rushing for 944 yards, receiving for 181 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns as a junior at Watkins Memorial.
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Danny Blair, Fairfield Christian
Vital signs: 5-9, 175, sr.
The college offers: Capital city
Blair, named Division VII Offensive Player of the Year last year and selected to the All-State first team, rushed for 1,431 yards and 19 touchdowns on 200 rushing attempts to lead the Knights to the Region 27 semifinals.
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Connor Corbett, Heath
Vital signs: 5-7, 180, sr.
The college offers: Baldwin Wallace, Mount Union, Wittenberg
A three-time All-State selection and Division V second team selection last year, Corbett rushed for 1,337 yards, caught 20 passes for 335 yards and scored 21 touchdowns last fall and helped Heath’s baseball team win the Division III state championship this spring.
Jayden Gwinn, Gahanna Lincoln
Vital signs: 5-10, 197, sr.
The college offers: Akron, Army, Cornell, Dartmouth, Kent State, Kentucky
Gwinn, a three-star recruit out of Westerville Central, is expected to help replace the power the Lions lost with the graduation of Diore Hubbard, a 2022 Mr. Football finalist who has 5,221 career rushing yards and now plays for West Virginia.
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Mikey Hess, Newark Catholic
Vital signs: 5-11, 195, sr.
The college offers: Dayton, Denison, Mount Union, Wittenberg
Hess amassed 1,384 all-purpose yards, including 977 on the ground, and scored nine touchdowns last year, earning him first-team All-District and third-team All-State honors in Division VI.
Robert Lathon, Hartley
Vital signs: 5-11, 195, jr.
The college offers: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Campbell, Kentucky, Liberty, Marshall, Miami University, Ohio University, Purdue, Toledo
Lathon made a big impact last fall, rushing for 1,543 yards and 17 touchdowns as the Hawks reached the Division IV, Region 15 semifinals. Lathon was named to the All-District first team and All-State second team.
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Henry Ohlinger, Grandview Heights
Vital signs: 6-0, 200, Jr.
The college offers: Bowling Green, Columbia, Kent State, Miami University, Princeton, Toledo
Ohlinger’s 1,360 yards and 17 touchdowns helped the Bobcats to seven wins, more than the previous three seasons combined, and a Division VI, Region 23 playoff appearance. Ohlinger was named to the All-District and All-State first team.
Kentrell Rinehart, Westland
Vital signs: 6-1, 205, sr.
College Involvement: State of North Carolina
The all-state first-team, four-star recruit has 25 college offers. He rushed for 2,837 yards and 42 touchdowns in his junior season at Ready and finished the season with 3,003 all-purpose yards and 46 scores. Rinehart, who transferred to Westland, was the Division IV District Offensive Player of the Year.
Owen Ruff, Fairfield Union
Vital signs: 5-11, 195, sr.
The college offers: None
Ruff was an all-around talent, rushing for 1,538 yards and 17 touchdowns, making 61 tackles on defense and being an outstanding kicker. Ruff was first-team All-Southeast District and received honorable mention All-State in Division IV.
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Michael Taylor, Pickerington North
Vital signs: 5-11, 185, sr.
College Involvement: Ohio University
The All-District senior standout and three-star recruit led North in runs (138), yards (912) and rushing touchdowns (13) as a junior as the Panthers reached the Division I, Region 3 semifinals.
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This article originally appeared in the Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio High School Football: The Best Running Backs in 2024
