USA TODAY Network Ohio's team of sportswriters has ranked the All-USA Ohio Top 25 football players for the 2026 preseason.
Using various metrics such as accolades, statistics, online rankings, and input from coaches, the high school sports writers and editors compiled a list of the top returning players statewide. They voted on them by assigning points to their choices for the top 25 players. The following ranking reflects the cumulative point totals.
Besides football, the team has released All-USA Ohio teams for girls volleyball, boys soccer and girls soccer.
No. 1 ‒ Jamier Brown, WR, Huber Heights Wayne
A 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver and Ohio State University commit, Brown is a five-star recruit, top-ranked statewide by 247 Sports and third-ranked by On3 behind future Buckeye teammate and lineman
Kellen Wymer. Brown caught 73 passes for 1,009 yards and 10 touchdowns last season at Wayne and enters his senior year with 3,875 all-purpose yards and 36 career touchdowns. He also won or was a part of three state titles in the Division II state track and field meet in June for Big Walnut, which shared the team championship. He transferred back to Wayne in early August.
No. 2 ‒ Ace Alston, Anderson
Alston is a four-star Notre Dame commit, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 5 player in the state for the 2027 class and the No. 10 cornerback in the country. He has been on varsity since his freshman season, including the last two where Anderson reached the Division II finals. He has six career interceptions and 145 career tackles.
No. 3 ‒ Kellen Wymer, OT, Liberty Center
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound four-star offensive lineman is the state’s No. 2 player by 247Sports, committed to Ohio State. Liberty Center won the Division V state championship a year ago with a 15-0 record.
No. 4 ‒ Brayton Feister, Massillon Washington
A 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior linebacker, Feister transferred to Massillon in May along with brother, Brydon. He had nearly 40 Division I offers, including Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan, USC, Indiana and Florida State, but committed to Oregon. The four-star standout is ranked No. 10 at his position as an athlete and is No. 10 in Ohio regardless of position, according to 247Sports.com.
No. 5 ‒ David Tarawallie, Painesville Riverside
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive tackle is committed to Penn State as the No. 3-ranked player in the state.
No. 6 ‒ Lorenzo McMullen Jr., Princeton
According to the 247Sports rankings, the Taft-to-Princeton transfer is the No. 2 player in Ohio and the No. 8 wide receiver in the country for the 2028 class. Using the site's composite ranking, McMullen is the top player in Ohio and a five-star recruit.
No. 7 ‒ Monsanna Torbert Jr., Princeton
The four-star University of Michigan commit transferred to Princeton after big success at Taft. He threw for over 1,700 yards and 27 touchdowns last year and threw for nearly 1,900 yards with 23 touchdowns while running for 824 yards and 10 scores as a sophomore.
No. 8 ‒ Kei'Shjuan Telfair, Euclid
A four-star Penn State commit, Telfair is ranked as the No. 7 player in Ohio as a 6-foot cornerback.
No. 9 ‒ Jordan Karhoff, DeSales
A consensus four-star and top 10 recruit statewide from multiple services – No. 4 by 247Sports and No. 7 by On3 – the 6-foot-5, 215-pound tight end and Virginia Tech commit caught 31 passes for 548 yards and five scores a year ago. Karhoff also was a force on defense with 56 tackles, including 37 solo, 17 for loss and 6½ tackles. He was named first-team All-Central District and third-team all-state in Division II.
No. 10 ‒ Davis Seaman, Watterson
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound four-star right tackle and Ohio State commit enters his third year as a starter for Watterson, which has won the past two Division III state championships. The Eagles have moved to Division II this fall. A Navy All-American Game selection, Seaman was first-team All-Central District and second-team all-state as a junior, when Watterson averaged 42.5 points and 354.5 yards per game.
No. 11 ‒ Reinaldo Perez, Columbus Academy
A four-star prospect, 247 Sports’ top-ranked defensive lineman statewide and On3’s No. 10 recruit regardless of position, the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Perez made 87½ tackles last fall, 51 solo, 15½ for loss, and 10 sacks. Perez, who committed to defending national champion Indiana on June 3 and owns 34 offers, also graded out at 90.5% on the offensive line as a junior. He earned first-team All-Central District and all-state in Division V on defense.
No. 12 ‒ Judah Blair, Lakota West
Blair, a first-teamer in the Greater Miami Conference last season, is the state's No. 4 player in his class, according to 247Sports, and the No. 4 linebacker in the country. In 12 games as a sophomore, he had 66 total tackles (30 solo), 16.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks and an interception.
No. 13 ‒ Kal-El Johnson, Moeller
A Taft starter who transferred to Moeller last year, Kal-El Johnson was a second-team offensive lineman in the Greater Catholic League-South. The 6-foot-8, 320-pound Johnson is a four-star recruit committed to Georgia Tech.
No. 14 ‒ Deontay Malone, Massillon Washington
Malone, a senior cornerback, committed to Ohio State in June over teams such as North Carolina, Michigan, Auburn, Michigan State and Purdue. The four-star standout is ranked 34th nationally as a cornerback and is No. 16 in Ohio regardless of position, according to 247Sports.com.
No. 15 ‒ Brydon Feister, Massillon Washington
Feister, a junior linebacker, has 17 Division I offers, which include Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Arizona State, Penn State, Georgia, Auburn, Purdue and Florida State. The three-star standout, who transferred to Massillon from Hoban, is ranked 61st in the nation as an athlete and is No. 24 in Ohio regardless of position, according 247Sports.com.
No. 16 ‒ Mason Wilt, St. Clairsville
Wilt is a 6-foot-5, 295-pound interior offensive lineman committed to Ohio State as a four-star recruit.
No. 17 ‒ Antwoine Higgins Jr., Anderson
The University of Kentucky commit is 247’s No. 21 player in Ohio for his class. As a junior, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound linebacker had 67 tackles (28 solo), 8.5 TFLs, three sacks and two interceptions for the Division II runner-up.
No. 18 ‒ Michael Boyle, Watterson
While the 6-foot-2, 215-pound defensive end committed to Ohio State for wrestling during last football season, Boyle probably could have gone the football route if he so desired. The first-team all-state defensive end and last year’s Division III Central District Defensive Player of the Year racked up 102 tackles last fall – including 43 for loss and 37 solo – with 12½ sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
No. 19 ‒ Dominic Black, New Madison Tri-Village
The four-star senior offensive tackle measures in at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds as a senior. The four-star is ranked No. 8 in Ohio and will head to the Kentucky Wildcats for college.
No. 20 ‒ Nolan Buirley, Big Walnut
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Buirley committed to Northwestern in June as a linebacker, but he has made his name as a running back for the two-time defending Division II, Region 7 champion Golden Eagles. Buirley ran for 2,226 yards and 30 touchdowns last fall on 242 carries and amassed 2,601 all-purpose yards and 33 scores. He shared Offensive Player of the Year honors at the Ohio Capital Conference-Capital Division, Central District and state levels.
No. 21 ‒ Chris Bradley, North College Hill
Chris Bradley, an Indiana University commit, was at Lakota West last season before heading over to North College Hill for his senior campaign. An all-state defensive back last year, Bradley had six interceptions.
No. 22 ‒ Kaden Estep, Elder
A three-year starter at Elder, Estep led Elder to a 12-1 record last season and the Panthers’ first 10-0 regular season since 1991. The GCL-South Player of the Year and first-team All-Ohio selection is a Miami RedHawks commit. He threw for 2,430 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for 924 yards and 10 scores last season.
No. 23 ‒ Reilly Newman, Lakota West
A four-star commit to Iowa, Reilly Newman was a first-teamer in the Greater Miami Conference and the district and was a second-team defender in the state. The 6-foot-7 senior had 48 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks last season. He's ranked No. 11 in Ohio for the class of 2027.
No. 24 ‒ Owen Scalf, Anderson
The Anderson quarterback led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in passing yards last season, but more importantly, he led the Raptors to the state final game in 2025. That trend should continue as Scalf takes the field for his senior season. He threw for 4,961 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2025, including two 400-yard performances and four games with four touchdowns or more. He was the OPSMA's Ohio Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Ohio.
No. 25 ‒ R.J. Day, DeSales
The 5-11, 203-pound quarterback and son of Ohio State coach Ryan Day will add to his program records this fall, already having become the Stallions’ all-time leader in career passing yards (5,714) and touchdowns (54) and single-season passing yards (2,710) a year ago. The three-star recruit, who announced his commitment to Northwestern on May 10, threw for 25 touchdowns last fall and ran for 331 yards and two scores in being named first-team All-Central District and second-team all-state in Division II.
Others receiving votes
Chuck Alexander, Withrow; Kaylon Bailey, Cleveland Glenville; Devlan Daniel, Indian Hill; Kahlil Diming, Hoban; Karsen Fisher, Nordonia; Braylon Gamble, Massillon; Roman Garr, Colerain; Reed Gerken, Perrysburg; Kiren Green, Hoban; Trey Haddad, St. Ignatius; Brysen Hall, Wadsworth; Tristan Hughes, Rocky River; Giorgio Jackson Jr., Massillon; John Johnson, Hoban; Dylan Latell, Girard; Cartae Ligon, Chillicothe; Jack Marquard, St. Edward; Edmund McAllister III, Pickerington Central; Jayden McKinney, Winton Woods; Jaylen Mercer, Princeton; Amare "AJ" Mitchell, McKinley; Jace Montgomery, Moeller; Kenyon Norman, Lakota West; Aden Norris, Louisville; Patrick O’Brien, Moeller; Savior Owens, Massillon; Owen Pelkowski, Walsh Jesuit; Josiah Pouncy, North College Hill; Roy Price Jr., Newark; Lane Ratliff, New Lexington; Logan Russell, Thornville Sheridan; Carter Smith, Zanesville West Muskingum; Eli Stephens, New Lexington; Kane Stover, Sparta Highland; Eli Stumpf, Sunbury Big Walnut; Bryce Tolliver, West Lafayette Ridgewood; Leevi Wade, Dresden Tri-Valley; Reggie Watson, Moeller; D’Angelo White, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph; Tyce Whiteman, Thornville Sheridan; Da'shun Williams, Massillon
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: All-USA Ohio Top 25 football players in 2026 preseason
