Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Ohio
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May 30, 2025
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Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Ohio
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. Here's the players from Ohio set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
- National rank: #402 (4 stars) - Position rank: #27 - College: Notre Dame - Offers: Notre Dame, Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois - High school: St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH)
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#19 (tie). Payton Cook (WR)
- National rank: #402 (4 stars) - Position rank: #63 - College: Louisville - Offers: Louisville, Boston College, Eastern Kentucky, Indiana, Kent State - High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
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#18. Storm Miller (LB)
- National rank: #371 (4 stars) - Position rank: #26 - College: Texas A&M - Offers: Texas A&M, Stanford, Akron, Boston College, Bowling Green - High school: Strongsville (Strongsville, OH)
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#17. Kaden Gebhardt (S)
- National rank: #347 (4 stars) - Position rank: #31 - College: Clemson - Offers: Clemson, Akron, Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado - High school: Olentangy (Lewis Center, OH)
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#16. Cam Thomas (LB)
- National rank: #332 (4 stars) - Position rank: #23 - College: Illinois - Offers: Illinois, Akron, Ball State, Boston College, Charlotte - High school: Lakota West (West Chester, OH)
- National rank: #237 (4 stars) - Position rank: #18 - College: Clemson - Offers: Clemson, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College - High school: Miami Trace (Washington Court House, OH)
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#9. Jakob Weatherspoon (S)
- National rank: #170 (4 stars) - Position rank: #15 - College: Ohio State - Offers: Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Akron - High school: Avon (Avon, OH)
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#8. Favour Akih (RB)
- National rank: #165 (4 stars) - Position rank: #14 - College: not committed - Offers: USC, Ohio State, Miami, Bowling Green, Cincinnati - High school: Rutherford B Hayes (Delaware, OH)
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#7. Brayden Fogle (TE)
- National rank: #161 (4 stars) - Position rank: #9 - College: not committed - Offers: Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State - High school: Lexington (Mansfield, OH)
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#6. Maxwell Riley (OT)
- National rank: #128 (4 stars) - Position rank: #8 - College: Ohio State - Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Duke - High school: Avon Lake (Avon Lake, OH)
- National rank: #125 (4 stars) - Position rank: #10 - College: USC - Offers: USC, Minnesota, Akron, Auburn, Ball State - High school: Harvey (Painesville, OH)
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#4. Sam Greer (OT)
- National rank: #109 (4 stars) - Position rank: #7 - College: Ohio State - Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Boston College, Central Michigan, Duke - High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
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#3. Victor Singleton (CB)
- National rank: #83 (4 stars) - Position rank: #10 - College: Texas A&M - Offers: Texas A&M, Illinois, Akron, Arizona State, Bowling Green - High school: Central Catholic (Toledo, OH)
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#2. Cincere Johnson (Edge)
- National rank: #71 (4 stars) - Position rank: #8 - College: not committed - Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Penn State, USC, Oklahoma - High school: Glenville (Cleveland, OH)
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#1. Elbert Hill (CB)
- National rank: #39 (4 stars) - Position rank: #2 - College: USC - Offers: USC, Alabama, Oregon, Akron, Arizona State - High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
