The recruiting race for the Class of 2027 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 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.
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1 / 20#15 (tie). Josiah Pouncy (LB)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #37
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky
- High school: Taft (Cincinnati, OH)
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2 / 20#15 (tie). Reilly Newman (DL)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #51
- College: not committed
- Offers: Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland
- High school: Lakota West (West Chester, OH)
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3 / 20#15 (tie). Davis Seaman (OT)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #38
- College: not committed
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky
- High school: Bishop Watterson (Columbus, OH)
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4 / 20#15 (tie). Hezikiah Kelley (S)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #41
- College: not committed
- Offers: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State
- High school: Northwest (Cincinnati, OH)
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5 / 20#15 (tie). Reed Gerken (OT)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #38
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville
- High school: Perrysburg (Perrysburg, OH)
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6 / 20#15 (tie). Jaylen Mercer (Edge)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #35
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arizona State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois
- High school: Winton Woods (Cincinnati, OH)
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7 / 20#14. Kenyon Norman (RB)
- National rank: #437 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #33
- College: not committed
- Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Iowa
- High school: Lakota West (West Chester, OH)
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8 / 20#13. Tristin Hughes (ATH)
- National rank: #367 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #22
- College: Syracuse
- Offers: Syracuse, Arizona State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland
- High school: Rocky River (Rocky River, OH)
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9 / 20#12. Antwoine Higgins (LB)
- National rank: #313 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #21
- College: not committed
- Offers: Alabama, Indiana, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Tennessee
- High school: Anderson (Cincinnati, OH)
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10 / 20#11. Monsanna Torbert Jr. (ATH)
- National rank: #309 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #14
- College: Indiana
- Offers: Indiana, Cincinnati, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland
- High school: Princeton (Cincinnati, OH)
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11 / 20#10. D'Angelo White (TE)
- National rank: #288 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida
- High school: Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, OH)
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12 / 20#9. Kei'Shjuan Telfair (CB)
- National rank: #278 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #30
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arizona State, Auburn, California, Cincinnati, Clemson
- High school: Euclid (Euclid, OH)
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13 / 20#8. Chuck Alexander (WR)
- National rank: #276 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #37
- College: Louisville
- Offers: Louisville, Iowa State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, James Madison
- High school: Withrow (Cincinnati, OH)
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14 / 20#7. Brayton Feister (ATH)
- National rank: #266 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #12
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arizona State, Boston College, California, Cincinnati, Colorado
- High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH)
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15 / 20#6. Reinaldo Perez (DL)
- National rank: #226 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #28
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arizona State, Cincinnati, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky
- High school: Columbus Academy (Columbus, OH)
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16 / 20#5. Jordan Karhoff (TE)
- National rank: #221 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #13
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado
- High school: St. Francis de Sales (Columbus, OH)
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17 / 20#4. Kellen Wymer (IOL)
- National rank: #211 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Duke, Indiana, Michigan
- High school: Liberty Center (Liberty Center, OH)
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18 / 20#3. Kalel Johnson (OT)
- National rank: #180 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: not committed
- Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville
- High school: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, OH)
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19 / 20#2. Ace Alston (CB)
- National rank: #117 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #11
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Miami, North Carolina, Arkansas, Auburn
- High school: Anderson (Cincinnati, OH)
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20 / 20#1. Jamier Brown (WR)
- National rank: #6 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #1
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Cincinnati, Indiana, Maryland
- High school: Big Walnut (Sunbury, OH)
