At this stage of this season, sometimes it is the top recruits/playmakers that can make a difference in close games. Here’s the recruiting rankings for Ohio for players on teams in the D1 regional finals:
Class of ‘22
247sports/Rivals
#2 (5*)/#2 (5*) Gabe Powers - Marysville LB/RB (Ohio State)
#4 (5*)/#7 (4*) Drew Allar – Medina QB (Penn State) - #1 QB nationally
#5 (4*) /#4 (4*) Tegra Tshabola – Lakota West OT (Ohio State)
#7 (4*) /#6 (4*) Jyaire Brown – Lakota West DB/WR (Ohio State)
#10 (4*)/#12 (4*) Alex Afari – Lakota West DB/WR (Kentucky)
#22 (3*)/#23 (3*) Kwabena Asamoah – Pick Central OL (Rutgers)
#23 (3*)/#23 (3*) – CJ Doggette – Pick Central DL (Cincinnati)
#24 (3*)/#16 (3*) Delian Bradley – Springfield DB (UND)
#32 (3*)/#27 (3*) Josh Kattus – Cin. Moeller TE (Kentucky)
#34 (3*)/#32 (3*) Tyler Gillison – Pick Central DL (Cincinnati)
#42 (3*)/#34 (3*) Te’Sean Smoot – Springfield QB (UND)
#43 (3*)/#37 (3*) Brandon White – Cin. Moeller WR (Kentucky)
#57 (3*) Gavin Rohrs – Marysville OL (Miami Ohio)
#61 (3*) Dakari Frazier – Pick Central LB (Louisville)
Class of ‘23
247sports/Rivals
#1 (5*)/#1 (5*) Alex “Sonny” Styles – Pick Central S (Ohio State)
#6 (4*) /#5 (4*) Anthony Brown – Springfield WR (Minnesota)
-------/#12 (3*) Shawn Thigpen – Springfield WR (UND)
Lakota West has another junior and two sophomores with Power 5 offers as well (Malik Hartford is actually a 4-star safety for 2023, higher rated than all but Sonny), giving them 6 players in total with Power 5 offers. They also have a senior OL committed to Buffalo, and 3 other players with FBS offers, giving them 10 players with FBS offers on their roster. Note that this doesn't include the guy who is arguably their best player in senior LB Aden Miller, nor does it include Mitch Bolden. I expect both of these guys to eventually get FBS offers as well.
Pickerington Central has 7 players with FBS offers that I can find, and they have arguably the best defensive player in the country in Sonny Styles.
Springfield has 5 players with FBS offers that I can find (Jokell Brown is another player that should definitely play at the FBS level).
Moeller has 6 players with FBS offers that I can find (senior QB Noah Gesselbracht will surely get one too).
St. Ed's has 5 players with FBS offers that I can find (Christian Ramos probably should make it 6). Is that really it?
Is Allar really Medina's only FBS recruit? I did see that a few guys had FCS offers, but all I can say is WOW.
Same with Marysville? Is Gabe Powers their only FBS recruit?
Upper Arlington doesn't look like it has a single player with an FBS offer.