24 Columbus-area players to watch in the 2026 high school football recruiting class

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Football

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With many central Ohio high school football seniors having signed to play at the next level, it is time to turn attention to the Class of 2026.

Dozens of juniors are highly ranked statewide, receiving attention from colleges of all sizes and poised to finish their prep careers on a high note.

Here are 24 of central Ohio’s top players who will be seniors in the fall:

Favour Akih, Delaware Hayes

The 6-foot, 190-pound running back is a four-star recruit who has drawn 20 Division I offers since the end of a junior season that saw him rush for 1,653 yards on 233 carries, catch nine passes for 142 yards and account for 21 total touchdowns. A first-team all-district and all-state selection in Division I, Akih is ranked 18th statewide and third locally by 247Sports.

Caleb Anthony, Africentric

The 5-8, 165-pound Anthony does it all on both sides of the ball for the Nubians, but he earned most of his accolades last fall on offense. The Division V district Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state honoree rushed for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns, caught 47 passes for 809 yards and 11 scores and finished with 2,086 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns. At defensive back, Anthony had 54 tackles with three sacks, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He holds offers from Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State and Miami University.

Drew Bellisari, Watterson

Coming off a breakout season that saw him help lead the Eagles to a 16-0 record and the Division III state championship, the 6-3, 185-pound Bellisari is being recruited as both a quarterback and overall athlete. Bellisari passed for 2,206 yards, rushed for 794 and accounted for 45 total touchdowns – 31 passing and 14 on the ground. He earned first-team all-district and all-state.

Jonathan Brown, DeSales

The 6-1, 190-pound Brown anchored a potent ground game for the Stallions, rushing for 1,295 yards and 16 touchdowns on 202 carries. He also caught 12 passes for 69 yards from the program’s all-time leader in passing yards, sophomore quarterback R.J. Day. Brown, who has Division I offers from Eastern Kentucky and Kent State, was named first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state in Division II.

Austin Buescher, West Jefferson

The 6-4, 175-pound Buescher, a three-year starter, has been one of central Ohio’s top passers regardless of division throughout his career. Having been offered by Ashland and Kent State, he threw for 2,101 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior. He enters his senior season with 7,987 yards and 80 scores. Buescher earned first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division VI last fall.

Levi Davis, Olentangy Orange

A three-star prospect with 13 offers, mostly from Mid-American Conference and similar schools, the 5-11, 183-pound quarterback is renowned for his dual-threat ability. Ranked 50th statewide by 247Sports, Davis passed for 2,023 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 853 yards and 12 scores last fall. He was first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division I.

Elijah Durham-Smith, Pickerington North

The 6-3, 220-pound edge rusher was a defensive linchpin for a Panthers team that reached the Division I, Region 3 final and fell to eventual state champion Olentangy Liberty. A three-star prospect and No. 44 recruit statewide per 247Sports who holds 10 Division I offers, Durham-Smith had 56 tackles last fall and led North in tackles for loss (19) and sacks (7). He was named first-team all-district and third-team all-state in Division I.

Pete Eglitis, Watterson

The 6-7, 270-pound left tackle was key to the Eagles’ potent ground game in their run to the Division III state championship, and his recruiting reflects that. Eglitis is a three-star prospect with 13 Division I offers. Watterson averaged 39.8 points and 368.3 total yards per game in 2024.

Kaden Gebhardt, Olentangy

Central Ohio’s top prospect among current juniors and No. 8 statewide per 247Sports, Gebhardt holds 32 offers, including from Ohio State and seven other Big 10 schools. The 6-1, 195-pound four-star safety finished his junior season with 94 tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and two touchdowns. He earned first-team all-district and all-state in Division I.

Brody Hatfield, Big Walnut

The 5-10, 165-pound Hatfield starred on both sides of the ball and special teams as the Golden Eagles reached a Division II state semifinal, their deepest postseason run since 2008. Hatfield caught 53 passes for 631 yards and eight scores, had eight interceptions, three pass breakups and two stops for loss at defensive back and totaled 452 yards in kick returns. He earned first-team all-district and all-state on defense.

R.J. Holland, Pickerington Central

A 6-2, 175-pound safety and three-star prospect, Holland owns 13 offers, including from Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan State and Minnesota. Holland earned honorable mention all-district in Division I after making 45 tackles, 22 of which were solo, returning his only interception for a touchdown and recovering a fumble.

Jamarcus Jones, Harvest Prep

The 6-0, 170-pound Jones, a three-star prospect and the Division V district Defensive Player of the Year, made seven interceptions – he returned two for touchdowns – and 37 solo tackles last fall. As a receiver, he caught 51 passes for 947 yards and nine scores. Jones, who was first-team all-state, also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as the Warriors reached a Region 19 semifinal.

Robert Lathon, Hartley

The 5-11, 180-pound three-star running back continued an outstanding career, rushing for 2,031 yards and 27 touchdowns on 231 carries in a ground-oriented offense. Lathon holds 11 offers, according to 247Sports, including Kentucky, Purdue and six Mid-American Conference schools. Lathon was named first-team all-district and all-state in Division III.

Marquis Lucas, Walnut Ridge

The driving force behind the Scots’ undefeated regular season, the 6-1, 215-pound quarterback and all-around athlete passed for 850 yards and nine touchdowns, ran for 1,154 yards and 19 scores and made 28 tackles at linebacker with five stops for loss, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Lucas was Division II district Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state.

Jarin Mock, Pickerington North

The Panthers’ 6-3, 200-pound quarterback is back on the market after decommitting from Wisconsin on Jan. 14, following a change in offensive coordinators. A three-star prospect who is 247Sports’ No. 7 recruit in central Ohio and 35th statewide, Mock passed for 2,575 yards and 23 touchdowns with five interceptions as a junior and rushed for 186 yards and two scores. He was named second-team all-district in Division I.

Henry Ohlinger, Grandview Heights

The 6-1, 210-pound Ohlinger’s bruising style paid off in the form of a 12-0 start for the Bobcats, whose only loss came in the Division VI, Region 23 final. A three-star recruit and first-team all-district and all-state honoree who owns eight offers, Ohlinger rushed for 1,728 yards, caught six passes for 168 yards and accounted for 505 return yards with 32 total touchdowns. At linebacker, Ohlinger made 79 tackles with 14 for loss and nine sacks.

Isaac Patterson, Westerville South

A 6-0, 185-pound senior receiver and safety, Patterson is a three-star prospect after a junior season in which he caught 24 passes for 460 yards and four touchdowns – all of which led or tied for the team lead among receivers – and had 52 tackles and an interception. A first-team all-district and second-team all-state honoree in Division II, Patterson is ranked 60th statewide by 247Sports.

Dezmond Porter, Harvest Prep

The 6-0, 218-pound junior lists four positions in his social media and recruiting profiles because he fills that many needs for the perennially successful Warriors. A quarterback, running back, defensive lineman and linebacker, the first-team all-district and all-state Porter ran for more than 1,000 yards and had nine total touchdowns for a Harvest Prep team that opened with an upset of Division I Pickerington Central and lost to eventual state champion Ironton in a Division V, Region 19 semifinal.

C.J. Sanna, Olentangy

A 6-3, 225-pound middle linebacker – one of the leaders of a deep Braves defense – Sanna owns 22 offers, including from Ohio State. The three-star prospect is coming off a junior season in which he made 86 tackles with nine for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Sanna was named first-team all-district and third-team all-state in Division I.

Treyton Schroeder, Olentangy Orange

The 5-9 defensive back has been a dynamo throughout his high school career, including an eight-interception season as a junior to increase his program record to 15. A nephew of Orange coach Wes Schroeder, Treyton also broke up 10 passes with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He was named first-team all-district and all-state in Division I.

Emoni Smith, Westland

The 6-1, 190-pound safety was a driving force behind the Cougars’ first winning record and playoff appearance in 19 years, making 91 tackles with 17 for loss, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions. He also caught 18 passes for 506 yards and six touchdowns and finished with 1,269 all-purpose yards and seven scores. The OCC-Capital Defensive Player of the Year, first-team all-district and second-team all-state honoree in Division I committed to Louisville on Jan. 18.

Malachi Taylor, Pickerington North

The 6-0, 185-pound three-star defensive back burst onto the scene last fall, making a team-high seven interceptions and returning the first four of them for touchdowns. The No. 41 prospect statewide per 247Sports and a first-team all-district and third-team all-state selection in Division I, Taylor finished with 54 tackles and holds nine offers, mostly from MAC programs. Older brother Michael, a running back, has signed with Ohio University.

Carson Welsh, Grove City

A 6-0, 197-pound quarterback, Welsh led an offense that averaged 38.6 points in its seven wins. A first-team all-district and third-team all-state honoree in Division I, Welsh completed 197 of 328 passes for 2,354 yards and 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions and ran for 286 yards and three scores.

Rocco Williams, Pickerington Central

The 6-1, 195-pound quarterback and three-star prospect is entering his third season as a starter and owns 11 offers, including four from MAC schools. Williams threw for 1,953 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 305 yards and five scores a season ago, helping the Tigers win eight straight games after a 1-2 start. Williams was named first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division I.