In the preseason, The Enquirer puts forth its list of thetop players to watch in Greater Cincinnati high school football. Separated by position and by class, the rankings provide recognition to the best returning players who are projected for big seasons.
Of course, these lists can't cover every single athlete poised for a breakout year. After nine weeks of 2026 regular-season action, several players exceeded expectations who didn't get full recognition in the summer.
These are the 15 impressive offensive players we missed before the season began.
Jacob Alexander, Indian Hill
Alexander just missed the cut on The Enquirer's top running backs in the preseason, but he hasn't flown under the radar for opposing defenses. The Indian Hill junior has racked up 1,018 yards and 17 touchdowns
through nine games, leading the Cincinnati Hills League in scoring. Alexander has eclipsed 100 yards in all but three games and is averaging a highly efficient 7.5 yards per attempt.
Morgan Brown, Deer Park
Another dominant back out of the CHL, Brown is the leading rusher in the conference with 1,060 yards through nine games. The Deer Park junior has been the top offensive weapon for the 8-1 Wildcats, averaging an explosive 9.1 yards per carry and scoring 10 touchdowns. In his top performance of the season against Madeira, he rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-14 win. He also contributes on defense, securing 13 tackles for loss and two interceptions.
David Dupee, Wyoming
Dupee finding his way into the record books isn't exactly a huge surprise, but the senior signal caller didn't get enough recognition in the preseason. The Wyoming quarterback now owns the school record for most touchdown passes in a career with 77, surpassing 2019 Ohio Mr. Football Evan Prater's mark of 72. Dupee has orchestrated an undefeated 9-0 start for the Cowboys by throwing for 2,013 yards with pinpoint accuracy, completing 73.5% of his passes. His 29 touchdowns to just two interceptions make him one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the state.
Levi Gilliland, Dixie Heights
Though Dixie Heights got off to a slow start this season, Gilliland has helped the Colonels rally to win four of their last five. The senior running back has piled up 1,116 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, good from fifth and third best in Kentucky's class 5A, respectively. Over the past month, Gilliland has scored at least two touchdowns and rushed for over 130 yards in each game. His 270-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 28-19 win against Henry Clay kick-started the current Colonels run.
Juice Glover-Brown, Moeller
As a freshman in 2025, Glover-Brown showed flashes of potential for the Crusaders. In 2026, he's taken a huge step up to become the top running back in the Greater Catholic League-South. The sophomore running back has racked up 985 yards and 11 touchdowns, including two 200-yard performances. His biggest game of the season came when Moeller needed it most, putting up 205 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-28 win over Elder to clinch the conference title.
Steven Johnson, Boone County
Johnson has been the workhorse for Boone County in 2026, making up over half the team's yardage and half of the team's scoring. His 1,304 yards through eight games are good for first in Kentucky's Class 5A, and his 11 touchdowns put him in the top 10 of the class. Though the Rebels have struggled in a 2-6 start, Johnson has provided over 100 yards in all but one game and rushed for more than 200 yards on three occasions.
Prince Mabasa, Monroe
Mabasa's nose for the end zone has been a key part of Monroe's turnaround from 2-8 in 2025 to 6-3 in 2026. The senior running back has 20 rushing touchdowns on the season to lead the Southwestern Buckeye League in scoring, also coming in second with 1,228 yards. He nearly rushed for 300 yards in a Week 5 win against Clinton Massie, putting up 298 yards and scoring four touchdowns for the second week in a row. He's been held out of the end zone just once all season.
Kiyan Miller, Covington Catholic
Miller, just a sophomore, has been a scoring machine for Covington Catholic. The Colonels' running back leads Kentucky's Class 4A with 22 touchdowns and ranks third with 1,026 rushing yards. He's also been efficient in the passing attack, catching 13 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Miller has only been held short of either 100 yards or multiple touchdowns one time this season.
Lucas Pate, St. Henry
Northern Kentucky has been a hotbed for talented running backs, and Pate continues that trend in Class 2A. The St. Henry junior is in the top 10 statewide for both rushing yardage and touchdowns, racking up 960 yards and 15 touchdowns in eight games. St. Henry's multi-pronged rushing attack has three rushers cycling in and averaging over 9 yards per carry, but Pate has been the feature back in the Crusaders' 5-3 start to the season.
Callan Poland, Turpin
Turpin's passing attack has been one of the best in Cincinnati, and Poland has clearly been the top option for the Spartans. The junior has hauled in 44 receptions for 946 yards and 14 touchdowns, both good for second in an Eastern Cincinnati Conference that's full of explosive offenses. Poland's explosivity has been difficult for opposing corners to match up with, as he averages over 20 yards per catch.
Cooper Reynolds, Blanchester
When usually run-happy Blanchester drops back to pass, it's not much of a secret where the ball is going. Reynolds, a senior receiver, accounts for two-thirds of the passing offense with 991 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. He leads the Southern Buckeye Academic and Athletic Conference in receiving yardage, touchdowns, and is third with 26.8 yards per catch. Reynolds has scored at least one touchdown every week in Blanchester's 5-4 season.
Logan Schmenk, Lebanon
Good luck keeping Schmenk out of the end zone. The senior Lebanon running back has racked up 23 rushing touchdowns through nine games, also leading the ECC with 1,399 yards on 200 attempts. Schmenk has put up over 200 yards in a game three times and has only been held scoreless by Anderson. He has two four-touchdown showings, including a 224-yard, four-score showing in a 34-20 win against West Clermont.
Will Schmittauer, Turpin
In his first season as the Spartans' starter, Schmittauer has already written himself into the record books. The junior quarterback set school records in a Week 8 shootout against Lebanon, throwing for 532 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 132 yards and another two scores in a 63-60 win. While that was clearly his strongest showing of the season, he's been consistently efficient as he sits in second place in the ECC with 2,318 yards passing. Schmittauer also leads Turpin with 470 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as he's led the Spartans to a 7-2 record.
Aiden Wehrum, Milford
Just a sophomore, Wehrum has been doing everything in his power to keep Milford in games this season. Since taking over the starting job in Week 2, the Eagles' quarterback has thrown for 2,274 yards with a 27 touchdowns to just four interceptions. While Milford has only managed a 1-8 start to the season, Wehrum's led a dangerous offense that has scored 28 or more points in six of his eight starts, including two 40-plus point performances against West Clermont and Walnut Hills. The sophomore also leads the Eagles' rushing attack with 323 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Oliver Young, Kings
Another ECC sophomore who has burst onto the scene, Young has established himself as one of the conference's best rushers. The Kings running back is second in the ECC with 1,258 yards and 17 touchdowns, putting up an efficient 7.4 yards per carry. Young has scored in all but one game, and he's rushed for over 130 yards in six of his nine contests. He put up over 200 yards against both Anderson and Little Miami, and over the past three weeks has done no worse than 175 yards and two touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 15 Cincinnati football offensive players who exceeded expectations
