Ohio State has a rich football history spanning over a century. The first NFL game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the “Cradle of Coaches” and one of the best college football programs in history are all home to the Buckeye State.
It’s also a hotbed for high school football talent, with this season set to feature several top-100 prospects in the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes.
Below are the top 25 football players in the state of Ohio based on On3 Industry Rankinga weighted average using all four major recruiting media companies.
School: Bellefontaine
Ohio State has its quarterback for the 2025 cycle, and he hails from Bellefontaine, northwest of Columbus. St. Clair threw for 3,083 yards and 37 touchdowns and led the Chieftains to an 11-3 record and a Division III regional finals appearance. He is a Five-Star Plus+ prospect and ranks second in the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings.
School: Shaker Heights
Trey McNutt, the son of an Ohio State national champion, decided to leave Ohio for college and committed to Oregon on August 3. In his final season at Shaker Heights, McNutt finished the season with 61 tackles, three tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. On offense, McNutt posted 611 yards and 12 touchdowns.
3. (2026) CB Elbert Hill — 94.89
School: Archbishop Hoban
Elbert Hill was a Division II first-team All-Ohio selection as a sophomore when Archbishop Hoban reached the state championship game, losing to Massillon Washington. Hill accounted for seven interceptions on the season and recorded four pass defenses in the game against Washington. Hill is the No. 15 overall prospect and the best cornerback in the class of 2026 in the country.
School: Toledo Whitmer
Carter Lowe is staying home to play for Ohio State. He committed to the Buckeyes on Jan. 27 and is one of two offensive linemen to sign with the Scarlet and Gray in the senior class. Toledo Whitmer went 7-4 last season and lost the first round of the postseason to Perrysburg. Lowe is 6’5″, 280 pounds and is the 48th recruit and 6th offensive tackle in the 2025 class.
School: Winton Woods
Justin Hill chose Alabama over Ohio State on July 3 and is one of the Tide’s highest-rated recruits as the No. 52 prospect in America. During his junior season at Winton Woods, Hill recorded 36 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and two forced fumbles.
School: Villa Angla-St. Joseph
Bo Jackson is the leading player on a talented Villa Angela-St. Joseph team in 2024 after rushing for 1,700 yards and 28 touchdowns in his junior season. The Vikings finished 9-4 last season and lost in the postseason to Youngstown Ursuline. Jackson, who is considered an athlete, is Ohio State’s top running back prospect for the 2025 cycle. He joined the Buckeyes on June 4.
School: Findlay
After narrowing his commitment to Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, Ryan Montgomery committed to the ‘Dawgs on April 17. Now entering his final season at Findlay, the Trojans will look to improve on an 8-3 season that ended in a heartbreaking 36-35 loss to Olentangy Liberty. Along the way, Montgomery threw passes for 3,377 yards and 38 touchdowns.
8. (2026) IOL Max Riley — 92.86
School: Avon Lake
Max Riley, one of the best offensive linemen in the junior class, ranks 56th overall and 5th among interior offensive linemen in the 2026 cycle. Last year, Avon Lake finished the season 7-5 and lost the playoffs to Anthony Wayne 59-14. The Shoremen will look to improve this season when they face Strongsville on August 23.
School: Walnut Ridge
At Marion-Franklin, Galloway recorded five interceptions in 2023 – including a pick six. This year, he’s transferring to Walnut Ridge, which is coming off a tough 3-10 season. The Scots made it to the Division II playoffs, where they were dispatched 26-0 by Canal Winchester. Galloway committed to Purdue on July 5.
School: Northmont
Northmont finished 7-5 in 2023, losing to Harrison in a nail-biting second round game of the Division II playoffs. Cedric Works was strong on the defensive line, recording 82 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for the Thunderbolts. Works transferred to Kentucky on June 27.
11. RB Marquise Davis — 91.95 (Cleveland Heights)
12. (2026) LB Cinderella Johnson — 91.78 (Glenville)
13. (2026) CB Victor Singleton — 91.68 (Toledo Central Catholic Church)
14. (2026) RB Shahn Alston — 91.54 (Harvey)
15. (2026) AT Sam Greer — 91.16 (Archbishop Hoban)
16. (2026) ATH Jacob Weatherspoon — 90.25 (Avon)
17. TE Lukas Gilbert — 90.13 (Lakota West)
18. (2026) ATH Cam Thomas — 89.88 (Lakota West)
19. LB Dante McClellan — 89.86 (Canton McKinley)
20. (2026) AT Adam Guthrie — 89.71 (Miami Trail)
21. TE Brody Lennon — 89.67 (Gilmour Academy)
22. CB James Scott — 89.56 (Mountain Healthy)
23. WR Quintin Simmons — 89.48 (Cincinnati Withrow)
24. (2026) WR Pauline Koch — 89.41 (Archbishop Hoban)
25. (2026) IOL Will Conroy — 89.30 (Saint Ignatius)
