The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Ohio using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from Ohio set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#20. Payton Cook (WR)
- National rank: #445 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #65
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Boston College, Eastern Kentucky, Indiana, Kent State
- High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
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2 / 20#19. Kaden Gebhardt (S)
- National rank: #443 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #38
- College: Clemson
- Offers: Clemson, Akron, Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado
- High school: Olentangy (Lewis Center, OH)
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3 / 20#18. Storm Miller (LB)
- National rank: #367 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #25
- College: Texas A&M
- Offers: Texas A&M, Stanford, Akron, Boston College, Bowling Green
- High school: Strongsville (Strongsville, OH)
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4 / 20#17. Jaeden Ricketts (WR)
- National rank: #334 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #52
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Illinois
- High school: Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, OH)
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5 / 20Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
6 / 20#15. CJ Sanna (LB)
- National rank: #295 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #20
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana
- High school: Olentangy (Lewis Center, OH)
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7 / 20#14. Henry Ohlinger (ATH)
- National rank: #278 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #17
- College: Indiana
- Offers: Indiana, Boston College, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Cincinnati
- High school: Grandview Heights (Columbus, OH)
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8 / 20#13. Adam Guthrie (OT)
- National rank: #245 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #22
- College: Clemson
- Offers: Clemson, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College
- High school: Miami Trace (Washington Court House, OH)
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9 / 20#12. Ben Congdon (OT)
- National rank: #235 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #20
- College: Miami
- Offers: Miami, Alabama, Arkansas, Campbell, Cincinnati
- High school: Tuscarawas Valley (Zoarville, OH)
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10 / 20#11. Favour Akih (RB)
- National rank: #210 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #15
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa
- High school: Rutherford B. Hayes (Delaware, OH)
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11 / 20#10. Milan Parris (WR)
- National rank: #177 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #26
- College: Miami
- Offers: Miami, Auburn, Oregon, Oklahoma, Iowa State
- High school: Walsh Jesuit (Stow, OH)
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12 / 20#9. Matt Ponatoski (QB)
- National rank: #161 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #12
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas, Cincinnati
- High school: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, OH)
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13 / 20#8. Jakob Weatherspoon (S)
- National rank: #151 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #12
- College: North Carolina
- Offers: North Carolina, Ohio State, Akron, Cincinnati, Duke
- High school: Avon (Avon, OH)
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14 / 20#7. Maxwell Riley (OT)
- National rank: #143 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #11
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Duke
- High school: Avon Lake (Avon Lake, OH)
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15 / 20#6. Brayden Fogle (TE)
- National rank: #126 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #7
- College: Georgia
- Offers: Georgia, Penn State, LSU, Akron, Auburn
- High school: Lexington (Mansfield, OH)
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16 / 20#5. Shahn Alston (RB)
- National rank: #99 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #8
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Minnesota, Akron, Auburn, Ball State
- High school: Harvey (Painesville, OH)
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17 / 20#4. Cincere Johnson (Edge)
- National rank: #67 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Penn State, Akron, Bowling Green
- High school: Glenville (Cleveland, OH)
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18 / 20#3. Sam Greer (OT)
- National rank: #55 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #5
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Boston College, Central Michigan, Duke
- High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
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19 / 20#2. Elbert Hill (CB)
- National rank: #54 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #6
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Alabama, Oregon, Akron, Arizona State
- High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
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20 / 20#1. Victor Singleton (CB)
- National rank: #50 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #5
- College: Texas A&M
- Offers: Texas A&M, Akron, Arizona State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati
- High school: Central Catholic (Toledo, OH)
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