National Signing Day lookahead: NE Ohio’s top 15 players in the Class of 2026
Keep an eye: Landry Brede, Mentor, OT; Jacob Earnest, Wadsworth, LB; Nathan Judy, Hudson, LB/ATH; Savion Lewis, Villa Angela-St. Joseph, CB; Casey Myser, Highland, RB; Henry Perrymond Jr., Cleveland Heights, CB/WR; Aaron Scales, Glenville, S; Jayshon Thomas, St. Ignatius, S; Lucas Tielsch, Copley, OT; Terrell Wharton Jr., Akron East, CB/S Buddy Willig, Norton, S/WR; Trevor Winters, Chardon, G
15. Gavin Madigan, Wadsworth
Positions: Safety, running back, Height, weight: 5-foot-11, 205 pounds
Concerning Madigan: Leading a gifted sophomore class at Wadsworth, Madigan is a standout athlete in multiple sports, including baseball. As a sophomore in the run game, he enhanced his effect at safety while splitting carries with senior Kyle Figuray. He had an impact at safety as a ninth-grader.
14. Will Conroy, St. Ignatius
Position: Offensive tackle, Height, weight: 6-3, 275
Conroy’s position on the offensive line in college is predicted by some recruiting gurus, despite the fact that he began his career as a tackle for the Wildcats as a sophomore. He’s already had some impressive offers, from Michigan State, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Florida, and Arizona.
13. Jakob Weatherspoon, Avon
Positions: Cornerback, running back, Height, weight: 5-11, 172
Regarding Weatherspoon: Michigan made an early offer to the talented Avon sophomore who leads the class. As a junior, expect a heavier load for him—possibly even offensively. After winning 14 games, Avon made a comeback to the Division II state playoffs. Weatherspoon recorded 21 tackles, three quarterback sacks, and one interception during the first ten games of the regular season. He is also a track standout.
12. Kindall Brown, Maple Heights
Positions: Quarterback, safety, Height, weight: 5-10, 170
Regarding Brown: Brown was the starting cornerback for coach Shaq Washington as a freshman. He moved up to starting quarterback for the Mustangs as a sophomore. He played safety for five games, though, because they were unable to keep him off the field for defense. Early offers for Brown have come from Bowling Green, Toledo, UNLV, UMass, and Akron.
11. Justen Hodge, Mentor
Position: Wide receiver, Height, weight: 6-1 180
About Hodge: Bowling Green, Michigan State, and West Virginia have shown increased interest in him following an initial offer from Miami (Ohio). On 46 receptions, he gained 872 yards and eight touchdowns.
10. Cincere Johnson, Glenville
Position: Linebacker, Height, weight: 6-4, 225
Regarding Johnson: As the Tarblooders’ middle linebacker replacement for Arvell Reese, Glenville pushed Johnson up from edge rusher to middle linebacker. Even during Glenville’s 2022 state title run, he wore No. 8, just like Reese did. Johnson, the younger brother of Louisville offensive tackle recruit Fred Johnson Jr., was the offensive tackle for the Tarblooders in 2023.
9. Andrew Baggott, Chardon
Positions: Tight end, offensive tackle, Height, weight: 6-5, 270
About Baggott: With Baggott coming back on the offensive line, Chardon needed a blocking tight end for its run schemes. No one could do it better than Baggott, so he moved out from tackle to tight end and delivered in a run to the Division III state semifinals. Toledo already offered him a scholarship. Expect more to follow.
8. C.J. Newell, Glenville
Positions: Safety, cornerback, Height, weight: 5-10, 170
About Newell: In the back half of a defense, he can play almost anywhere. During Glenville’s final two games without Ohio State-bound cornerback Bryce West in the secondary, Newell upped his game. With two sacks and 11 tackles for loss, Newell finished with 64 tackles. He intercepted two passes, one of which he ran for a touchdown, and broke up six passes. In all, he scored eight goals. Kentucky has extended an offer to him.
7. Storm Miller, Strongsville
Positions: Linebacker, tight end, Height, weight: 6-3, 215
Regarding Miller: Older broker Blake plays tackle at Clemson, but Storm is destroying defenses in Northeast Ohio. As a sophomore, he recorded 81 tackles, 10 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 7 TFL in 10 games. One of his initial proposals is from Wisconsin.
6. Payton Cook, Archbishop Hoban
Positions: Wide receiver, quarterback, defensive back, Height, weight: 6-2, 180
Concerning Cook: Cook demonstrated his ability to make big plays as a freshman. With the ability to play both quarterback and receiver on offense, he has received offers from Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), and Michigan. Cook caught 37 passes for 517 yards and three touchdowns. His pass was a 52-yard touchdown. Cook contributed 32 tackles and three sacks on defense.
5. Brandon White, St. Edward
Position: Running back, Height, weight: 5-8, 185
About White: This season, White has surpassed 200 yards rushing four times. After breaking out of a platoon, he finished with 1,913 yards and 23 touchdowns on 269 carries, making him one of the top runners in the area. In addition, he returned punts and scored five additional times as a pass-catching danger. In a Week 9 victory over Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, White ran for a career-high 262 yards. In the Division I state championship game, he concluded the season with 235 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, White recently accepted Kent State’s first scholarship offer.
4. Shahn Alston, Harvey
Position: Running back, Height, weight: 5-10, 205
3. Maxwell Riley, Avon Lake
Position: Offensive tackle, Height, weight: 6-5, 263
Regarding Riley: Riley, a Power Five prospect who received an offer from Ohio State following his rookie year, finished his sophomore season with an 89 percent grade and 66 pancake blocks.
2. Sam Greer, Archbishop Hoban
Position: Offensive tackle, Height, weight: 6-8, 290
Regarding Greer: He might be at the top of this list by the time he leaves for college. A preseason leg injury kept him out of action for the majority of the season, but he made a comeback for the playoffs, leading Hoban back to the Division II state championships. Greer, who began at center as a freshman in basketball, already has a state championship to his name. Of course, the top two college suitors are Ohio State and Michigan.
1. Elbert “Rock” Hill IV, Archbishop Hoban
Positions: Cornerback, receiver, Height, weight: 5-10, 170
Regarding Hill: Hill received offers from Ohio State and Michigan last spring after running the 40-yard sprint in 4.3 seconds. In the fall, he showed off his quickness playing cornerback, receiving, and in the return game for Hoban, a 13-2 team that advanced to the Division II state championship. Hill has 10 pass breakups and seven interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.