TOP OHIO PROSPECTS FOR 2004
Ratings done 6/28/03; most recent updates (in red)
1) Ted Ginn Jr., CB, Cleveland Glenville, 6-1, 165, 4.4. Possibly the best cornerback prospect in the nation. He ran the fastest 40 at the U.S. Army national elite junior combine in January. Has the total package. Son of Glenville head coach Ted Ginn Sr. His stats as a junior were simply amazing. Ginn played all over the field, finishing with 42 tackles, 10 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, 300 passing yards, 5 touchdown passes, 408 yards rushing, 10 rushing TD's, 10.0 per carry average at tailback, 15 receptions, 502 receiving yards and 4 TD catches. Ginn was also #1 in the state in the 110-meter hurdles and finished 10th nationally in this category. Signed with Ohio State
2) Fred Davis, WR, Toledo Rogers, 6-4, 215, 4.5. Another Ohio prospect that lit up the U.S. Army national elite junior combine in January. He was voted top WR at the combine. Great combination of size and athletic ability. The upside for Davis is off the charts. Has played a number of positions but will be a WR at the next level. Will be considered one of the elite WR prospects in the nation this year. Presents major match-up problems for average sized corners. Upside is huge. Verbally committed to USC.
3) Marcus Freeman, LB, Huber Heights Wayne, 6-2, 230, 4.6. One of the very best LB's in the country and the clear cut #1 LB prospect in the state of Ohio this year. Great combination of size, speed, strength and attitude. Bench pressed 185 pounds 28 times at the U.S. Army national elite junior combine. Can bench press 430 pounds. Excellent student with a GPA in the 3.7 range. May be the best Ohio LB prospect since Andy Katzenmoyer. Could play inside or outside at the next level. Signed with Ohio State
4) Brandon Braxton, OL, Youngstown Ursuline, 6-7, 295, 5.2. A prototypical tackle prospect with excellent mobility for a big guy. May be a little bit raw at this stage but the sky is the limit for Braxton. Very tall with long arms and carries his weight extremely well. Has played some DE but OT is his future. Also plays basketball, averaging double digits in rebounds and points. Recently started focusing more on football after focusing more on basketball as a youngster. Big fan of Orlando Pace (no surprise.) Verbally committed to Oklahoma
5) Ben Person, OL, Xenia, 6-4, 290, 5.4. One of the top offensive interior line prospects in the nation. Excellent run blocker. More suited for an interior line spot, possibly center, but likely guard at the next level. Very good mobility for a big guy. Is now faster than the 5.4 reported 40 time. Signed with Ohio State
6) Chad Hoobler, DE/TE, Carrollton, 6-4, 220, 4.7. Great athlete that is technically sound and an all-around great football player. Plays LB and TE in high school, but many think he could be a DE at the next level. Good instincts and quickness and a very good hitter. Had an unbelievable 217 tackles as a junior. Great blocker at tight end. Excellent all-around athlete. Verbally Committed to Ohio State
7) Antonio Pittman, RB, Akron Buchtel, 5-11, 195, 4.4. Fastest D-1A TB prospect in Ohio, one who has run in the 4.3 range before. Excellent vision and a great all-around athlete. Has the frame to be 210 pounds at the next level. Very, very quick. Ran for over 2,000 yards and had 25 TD's as a junior. Signed with Ohio State
8) Miles Williams, WR/S, Austintown-Fitch, 6-2, 205. Outstanding size/speed combo. Very polished at this stage in his career, who runs good routes and has good hands, quickness, strength and leaping ability. A "do-everything" guy for Austintown-Fitch, playing all over the place on offense and also playing defense and special teams. May be a bit smaller than the 6-3, 210 that he is often listed as. Verbally committed to Michigan State (commitment now solid)
9) Erik Haw, ATH, Columbus Independence, 6-0, 210, 4.3. Phenomenal athlete who could play RB, WR, LB or DB at the next level. Played safety, FB and TB as a junior. Cousin of Minnesota '03 recruit Justin Valentine. Blazing speed. Has the body/size/speed of an ideal Big Ten TB. 3.0 GPA. Signed with Ohio State
10) Sirjo Welch, DB, Columbus Beechcroft, 5-11, 180, 4.45. Like Haw, Welch is a Columbus city school athlete who has come out of nowhere. Had college coaches drooling after they received his highlight tape. Could get a look at multiple positions at the next level. Solid basketball player as well. Signed with Ohio State.
11) Brock Bolen, RB, Germantown Valley View, 6-0, 230. Bolen has been compared to former Purdue FB Mike Alstott. He's a big back that can play TB or FB and does everything well. Bolen probably works out as much as any prospect in the state of Ohio and is very strong. Ran for 2200 yards last year and 43 TD's. Bolen also has an excellent pair of hands. Verbally committed to Illinois
12) Brandon Underwood, DB, Hamilton, 6-1, 170, 4.5. Younger brother of current Buckeye corner E.J. Underwood. Big hitter that could play cornerback or safety at the next level. A little thin right now, but is tall with a good frame and is very physical. Vertical of 32". Signed with Ohio State
13) Steve Rehring, OL, West Chester Lakota West, 6-8, 315, 5.3. Gigantic frame and a whole lot of upside. Extremely hard worker who pushes himself extremely hard. Decent mobility for a big guy. Considered by some to be one of the top 20 O-line prospects nationally. Signed with Ohio State
14) Michael Massey, DE, Cleveland St. Ignatius, 6-6, 225, 4.7. Younger brother of Jim and Pat Massey. Great frame, excellent athletic ability with huge upside. Great quickness, the kind you want in a rush end. Also plays TE but is destined to be a DE at the next level. 9 sacks and 81 tackles as a junior. Grades are so-so, but Massey should be okay here. Verbally committed to Michigan
15) Brian Hoyer, QB, Cleveland St. Ignatius, 6-4, 190, 4.75. Excellent physical tools, including great arm strength, good mechanics, good size, a quick release and good mobility. Has not lit up high school competition through his senior year, but all signs are that he will his senior year. Could stand to add a few pounds to his stature but has the frame to do it. Verbally committed to Michigan State
16) Anthony Turner, QB, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, 6-3, 195, 4.6. Great leader with a good arm, good mobility and good technique. Does not get rattled. Very polished for a high school junior quarterback. A very good high school basketball player as well. May get stereotyped as an athletic QB, who many see as erratic passers, but Turner has more of a pro-style QB than an athlete and has good accuracy. Verbally committed to Bowling Green
17) Chauncey Incarnato, OL/DL, Dover, 6-7, 280, 5.0. Good frame - tall with long arms. Plays tackle on offense and defense, but his future appears to be on offense. Very good strength/athleticism combo. Playing at small school has kept publicity down. Also wrestles. Verbally committed to Notre Dame
18) Nii Anjei Oninku, DE, Clayton Northmonth, 6-2, 225, 4.8. One of the top couple D-line prospects in Ohio and could play DE or DT at the next level. Has the wingspan to play DE, which Oninku prefers. Very strong against the run. Played basketball at his 225 weight, but played football in the 240 range. 3.3 GPA and wants to major in engineering. Verbally committed to Kentucky
19) Tony Howard, CB/RB, Garfield Heights, 6-0, 190, 4.5. Excellent athlete with extremely quick feet. Runs track and is a good basketball player, averaging 20 points per game. Seems destined for CB at the next level, but is a solid TB also. Verbally committed to Michigan State
20) Gerald Catogen, OL, Portsmouth, 6-7, 305, 5.0 Another extremely tall offensive tackle prospect from Ohio. Has extremely long arms. Outstanding athleticism for a player his size. Also very strong, especially at this stage. Has fared very well against top competition at his left tackle position. Verbally committed to Penn State
21) Ray Jones, RB/DB, Columbus Academy, 6-0, 195, 4.5. Good feet and a good all-around athlete. Very strong. Respected as a high character kid and an excellent student with a 3.6 GPA. Could play defense at the next level, although TB looks like it will be Jones' first position. Verbally committed to Stanford
22) Jason Chapman, DE/TE, Bedford, 6-4, 240. Very good athlete with versatility. Exceptional pass rusher. Verbally committed to Wisconsin
23) Raymond Williams, TB, Cleveland Benedictine, 5-11, 180. Absolutely incredible stats as a junior, rushing for over 3,250 yards and 39 touchdowns. Could be slightly undersized to play TB at the next level, but if he adds another 15 pounds without losing much speed, he can do it. Also could play CB at the next level. Extremely quick and is fearless. Grades/test scores are a major concern as he finishes up his junior year. Recruiting Update 1/25: It has been said that a conditional offer is on the table for Williams. Williams still appears to be a longer shot to qualify. If he does not qualify, the talk is that he will head the prep school route and likely head to OSU next year if he gets his academics in order. Top 5 prospect in the state if he were 100% eligible. Earning the Ohio Mr. Football award for 2003 was not an accident.
24) Nick Smith, TE/DL, Canton GlenOak, 6-6, 265, 4.85. Played mainly TE last year and some DE. He will play DE this year. Quite the physical specimen. Moves very well for a big guy. Verbally committed to Michigan State.
25) Shaun Lane, DB, TB, Hubbard, 5-10, 175. Dynamite athlete who excelled on offense, defense and special teams last year. Ran for over 2,000 yards and is considered to be one of the most dangerous returnmen in the state. Likely slated for CB at the next level. Very tough for his size. Son of former Buckeye DB Garcia Lane. Signed with Ohio State
26) Steve Walker, CB/QB, Akron Buchtel, 5-9, 175, 4.5. Big-time athlete, who excels on both side of the ball. Very, very quick. Will almost certainly play corner at the next level. Verbally Committed to Pittsburgh
27) Michael Bell, WR/DB, Shaker Heights, 6-0, 170, 4.45. Has some big-time skills and some big upside, but has not caught a lot of balls in high school. Will likely play WR at the next level, but could get a hard look at DB. Explosive athlete who could shoot up lists with a quick start to the 2003 season. Verbally committed to Michigan State
28) Daryl Clark, QB, Youngstown Ursuline, 6-2, 190, 4.7. Mobile QB with a lively arm. Good pocket presence and good vision. Is a leader. If accuracy improves, he could shoot up charts. Verbally committed to Penn State
29) Delbert Ferguson, TB, Warren Harding, 6-3, 215, 4.5. In previous years, Ferguson has been considered by some to be the #1 overall prospect in the state. The freakish abilities that Ted Ginn, Marcus Freeman and Fred Davis have shown have probably pushed Ferguson a few notches down most Ohio lists, but Ferguson still looks like the #1 TB prospect in the state. Very powerful runner. Pure speed is somewhat of a question, but if he can improve his speed and prove that he can hang onto the football, he will be considered one of the top backs in the land. Transferring from Youngstown Ursuline to Warren Harding. Recruiting Update 2/4: Washington State or Cincinnati decision expected today.
30) Alex Engram, Warren Harding, QB, 5-10 1/2, 210, 4.7. Good mobility with a strong arm. Can throw on the run. Can throw the ball a good distance. Willing to play CB in college. Verbally committed to Western Michigan
31) Chase Clowser, OL, LaGrange Keystone, 6-8, 325. Huge lineman with a lot of upside, but raw at this point. Plays RT on his team and is a better pass blocker than a run blocker at this point. Also plays DT, but Clowser's future is as a bookend offensive tackle. Also plays basketball. Verbally committed to Pittsburgh
32) Mike Maciejowski, QB, Upper Arlington 6-3 1/2, 210, 4.65. Son of former Ohio State QB Ron Maciejowski who played on the 1968 National Championship team. Good arm, with decent mobility. Can really throw the deep ball. Cool under pressure. Verbally committed to Minnesota
33) Trumaine Smith, WR, Warrensville Heights, 6-3, 185, 4.45. Excellent athlete with a great size/speed combination. Only downside at WR is that he has not had a chance to showcase himself with the type of offense Warrensville Heights runs. Has run a sub 4.4 before and a 10.7 100 meters. 35 inch vertical. Solid grades. Good performances at camps could help his stock shoot up very quickly. Verbally committed to Toledo
34) Tony Johnson, FB/DT, Liberty Township Lakota East, 5-11, 250, 4.7. Throwback FB, the kind that punish LB's and pave the way for the I-backs. Extremely physical on both sides of the ball. Blocking is his game, but has been effective running the ball as well. Would like to wrestle at the next level. Recruiting Update 1/25: Nothing since this 1/3 report: May have dropped off the face of the earth. No news to be found on Johnson.
35) Alex Barrow, DE/DT, Dublin Coffman, 6-4, 250. DE/DT prospect with some good upside. Separated his shoulder in the middle of the season this past year and missed the remainder of the season. Good frame with good athleticism. Could play DT at the next level if he gets bigger, but is a good pass rusher and has the athleticism to play DE. Signed with Ohio State
36) Gary Russell, TB, Walnut Ridge, 5-11, 195. Powerful back who ran for 1,800 yards and scored 28 times last year. Hard to get a clean shot on him. Plays DT on occasion. Lost weight in the off-season wrestling. Verbally committed to Minnesota
37) Justin Kucek, K/P, Canfield, 6-1, 185. Top kicking prospect in Ohio. Averaged 44 yards per punt his junior and senior season. Verbally committed to Minnesota
Other Ohio Prospects:
Justin Kershaw, DE/TE, Reynoldsburg, 6-5, 230, 4.6. Fast rising prospect as of December 2003. State champ in the discus. Great frame. Played both sides of the ball virtually every play his senior season. Likely a DE at the next level. Verbally committed to Michigan State
Alfred Martin, DL, Lyndhurst Brush, 6-5, 253, 5.0. Fast rising prospect as of December 2003. Extremely hard worker. Great frame with some big-time upside. Could play inside or at end at the next level. Played both OL and DL this past year. Verbally committed to Toledo
Brandon Smith, LB, Euclid. 6-3, 230, 4.6. Signed with Ohio State. See the 2004 commitments page for more on Smith.
AJ Trapasso, P, Pickerington Central. 6-2, 220, 4.6. Signed with Ohio State. See the 2004 commitments page for more on Trapasso.
Out-of-State targets for Ohio State
Dennis Kennedy, RB/CB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Stranahan), 5-11, 180, 4.4. Describes himself as an Emmitt Smith type runner. Good all-around athlete who runs track and plays basketball. Good Student. Signed with Ohio State
Gartrell Shavers, RB, Miami Springs, FL (Miami Springs), 6-0, 210, 4.5. Leading rusher in the county as a senior, which is quite a feat in Dade county. Runs track. Jan 25 Recruiting Update: Nothing new since this late Dec update: Does not have an offer from OSU, but could still get one. Grades/test scores are a concern. Shavers could be a diamond in the rough. May visit OSU in January. Favors OSU.
Albert Dukes, WR, Belle Glades, FL (Glades Central), 6-1, 185, 4.51. Measurements are from Nike Camp. Hails from same school that produced Reidel Anthony and Ohio State's Santonio Holmes. Signed with Ohio State
Dwayne Jarrett, WR, New Brunswick, NJ (New Brunswick), 6-5, 195, 4.5. One of the top 5 to 10 WR prospects in the nation. Performed very well at Army National All Star game in January 2004. Great athleticism for a 6'5" receiver. Verbally committed to Southern Cal
DuJuan Morgan, WR/ATH, Riviera Beach (Suncoast), 6-1, 190, 4.3. Would have been one of the top recruits in Florida for the class of 2004, but a car accident ended his season before it started. Suffered a broken hip in the accident. Electric performer that could play offense or defense at the next level. Verbally committed to NC State
Devon Lyons, S/WR, Pittsburgh, PA (Woodland Hills), 6-2.5, 204, 4.47. Good size for a DB. Could also play WR at the next level. Top 20 safety prospect nationally. Signed with Ohio State
Jacky Claude, OL, Miami, FL (Miami Edison Senior), 6-3 1/2, 300, 5.4. One of the top O-line prospects in the nation. Could play inside or outside at the next level. Very strong with good athleticism for a big man. Strong work ethic. Verbally committed to Florida State.
Kyle Mitchum, OL/DL, Erie, PA (Mcdowell), 6-5, 265, 5.1. Outstanding prospect on both sides of the ball. Most colleges like Mitchum as an OT but some prefer him as a DT. Very lean. Excellent feet with good strength. 2.8 GPA. Signed with Ohio State
Nader Abdallah, DT, Metairie, LA (Rummel), 6-4, 295, 4.9. Very strong with outstanding athletic ability. 3.0 GPA. One of the best DT prospects in the nation. Selected to play in 2004 Army High School All-American game. Signed with Ohio State
Rhyan Anderson, DE, Oak Creek, WI (Oak Creek), 6-6, 265, 4.6. Outstanding pass rusher. 21 sacks as a junior and 24 as a senior. Very good TE as well. Top 10 DE prospect nationally. Signed with Miami
Vernon Gholston, DE, Detroit, MI (Class Tech), 6-3, 238, 4.48. Physically gifted who could play inside or outside on the D-line. Upside is off-the charts with his freakish abilities, but somewhat of a raw prospect. Very versatile, playing on the offensive side of the ball as a junior. Signed with Ohio State
Olu Hall, DE, Fairfax, VA (Robinson), 6-5, 220, 4.8. May be the top overall prospect in Virginia and a top 15 DE prospect nationally. Tall and rangy with great quickness. Verbally committed to Virginia
Willie Young, DE, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (Palm Beach Gardens), 6-4, 205, 4.65. One of the best DE prospects in the nation. Some reports have him as tall as 6-6 now. Can move for a man of his height. 84-inch wingspan. Signed with NC State
James Bryant, LB/FB, Ready, PA (Ready), 6-3, 235, 4.6. Extremely strong, bench pressing 400 pounds and squatting over 600 pounds. Brother plays DB at Pitt. Great size and quickness with good speed. Big hitter with good instincts on defense. Great blocker and a good runner on offense. One of the best MLB prospects in the nation. Signed with Miami
Javier Estopinan, LB, Miami, FL (South Miami Senior), 6-3, 230, 4.65. Great leader who is also a state wrestling champ. Hard hitter with a good size/speed combo. Signed with Florida
Nick Patterson, DB/ATH, Florissant, MO (Hazelwood Central), 6-1, 200, 4.5. GPA over 4.0 while taking honors classes. 25 on his ACT. Could play WR or DB at the next level. Good route runner as a WR and a guy who makes plays. Loves to hit and does a nice job of it. Signed with Ohio State
Anthony Reddick, DB, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St Thomas Aquinas), 6-1, 190, 4.6. A top national DB prospect. Could play corner or safety at the next level. Good speed, athleticism and instincts. Plays the run well. Verbally committed to Miami
