The recruiting race for college football is 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 2027 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 2027 football recruits from Ohio using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by their 247Sports composite ratings. Here's the players from Ohio set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
You may also like: Coldest Junes in Ohio since 1895
WoodysPhotos // Shutterstock
1 / 20#20. Chuck Alexander (WR)
- National rank: #467 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #64
- College: Iowa State
- Offers: Iowa State, Louisville, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Indiana
- High school: Withrow (Cincinnati, OH)
Stuart Monk // Shutterstock
2 / 20#19. Jackson Ballinger (TE)
- National rank: #433 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #21
- College: Florida
- Offers: Florida, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati
- High school: Centerburg (Centerburg, OH)
HY-DP // Shutterstock
3 / 20#18. Reilly Newman (IOL)
- National rank: #431 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #24
- College: Iowa
- Offers: Iowa, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville
- High school: Lakota West (West Chester, OH)
Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
4 / 20#17. Davis Seaman (IOL)
- National rank: #384 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #19
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky
- High school: Bishop Watterson (Columbus, OH)
Ron Alvey // Shutterstock
5 / 20#16. Mason Wilt (IOL)
- National rank: #357 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida State, NC State
- High school: St. Clairsville (St. Clairsville, OH)
You may also like: Hottest Januarys in Ohio since 1895
kuzmaphoto // Shutterstock
6 / 20#15. Kal-El Johnson (OT)
- National rank: #332 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #34
- College: Georgia Tech
- Offers: Georgia Tech, NC State, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina
- High school: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, OH)
Pell Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 20#14. Dylan Latell (OT)
- National rank: #294 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #29
- College: Virginia Tech
- Offers: Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Arkansas, Boston College, Duke
- High school: Girard (Girard, OH)
Andy Dean Photography // Shutterstock
8 / 20#13. Reinaldo Perez (DL)
- National rank: #287 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #34
- College: Indiana
- Offers: Indiana, Stanford, Michigan State, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Columbus Academy (Columbus, OH)
SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock
9 / 20#12. Deontay Malone (CB)
- National rank: #282 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #32
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Michigan State, Auburn, Boston College, Maryland
- High school: Massillon Washington (Massillon, OH)
Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
10 / 20#11. Tristin Hughes (ATH)
- National rank: #276 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #16
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Syracuse, Arizona State, Auburn, BYU
- High school: Rocky River (Rocky River, OH)
You may also like: Most commonly seen birds in Ohio
Guzel Studio // Shutterstock
11 / 20#10. D'Angelo White (TE)
- National rank: #212 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida
- High school: Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, OH)
Bobby Stevens Photo // Shutterstock
12 / 20#9. Dominic Black (OT)
- National rank: #208 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #21
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, Boston College, Colorado
- High school: Tri-Village (New Madison, OH)
aspen rock // Shutterstock
13 / 20#8. David Tarawallie (OT)
- National rank: #181 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #19
- College: Penn State
- Offers: Penn State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Michigan State, NC State
- High school: Riverside (Painesville, OH)
Ron Alvey // Shutterstock
14 / 20#7. Brayton Feister (ATH)
- National rank: #133 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #9
- College: Oregon
- Offers: Oregon, California, Georgia, Arizona State, Auburn
- High school: Massillon Washington (Massillon, OH)
Hannah Leigh Barnes // Shutterstock
15 / 20#6. Jordan Karhoff (TE)
- National rank: #125 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #5
- College: Virginia Tech
- Offers: Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati
- High school: St. Francis de Sales (Columbus, OH)
You may also like: Best NFL players born in Ohio
David Lee // Shutterstock
16 / 20#5. Monsanna Torbert Jr. (CB)
- National rank: #106 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #13
- College: Michigan
- Offers: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn
- High school: Princeton (Cincinnati, OH)
David Lee // Shutterstock
17 / 20#4. Ace Alston (CB)
- National rank: #96 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #11
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Miami, North Carolina, Arkansas, Auburn
- High school: Anderson (Cincinnati, OH)
Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock
18 / 20#3. Kei'Shjuan Telfair (CB)
- National rank: #93 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Penn State
- Offers: Penn State, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College
- High school: Euclid (Euclid, OH)
MaverickZ85 // Shutterstock
19 / 20#2. Kellen Wymer (IOL)
- National rank: #61 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #4
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Duke, Indiana, Michigan
- High school: Liberty Center (Liberty Center, OH)
zoff // Shutterstock
20 / 20#1. Jamier Brown (WR)
- National rank: #25 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #4
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Cincinnati, Indiana, Maryland
- High school: Wayne (Huber Heights, OH)
You may also like: Most popular boy names in the 50s in Ohio
