YAA Columbus Top Performers

By: Brandon Howard, National Recruiting Analyst

The You Are Athlete Regional Exposure Camp Series made a stop in Columbus, OH on March 28th. Some of the top high school prospects from the midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and West Virginia) were in attendance. Prospects from across these regions came out to compete and show why they deserve an invite to the All-American Showcase in Houston.

This showcase always produces major fruit, with players who receive attention following the event. This group is no different with multipe standouts and high-end producers who are set to see their recruitment rise.

The prospects below earned an invitation to the You Are Athlete All American Showcase on May 22-24 in Houston, TX. Several players stood out but these guys took the cake demonstrating upside, skill and catching the attention of our staff.

Top Defensive Line

2027 Edge Antonio Hodges Jr out of Villa Angela St. Joseph HS (OH.)

Hodges, shows fast-twitch muscles in ability to get off at snap. Has lower body flexibility to dip shoulder and get around edge to accelerate into backfield. Has speed to chase plays down from behind.

2029 DL Zu'Bril Ruff out of Belleville HS (MI.)

Ruff flashes impressive initial explosion. Combines that with sudden heavy-handedness to consistently disrupt at the line of scrimmage. Already holds multiple offers with more on the way.

2027 DL Jordan Kirk out of Villa Angela St. Joseph HS (OH.)

Kirk has good moves and an aggressive rip often times leads to sacks. Good eye discipline allows him to get his hands up into throwing lanes.

2028 Edge Larry Sherman out of Jefferson HS (IN.)

Sherman is naturally strong, quick off the ball, and has multiple ways to beat a tackle. He plays with advanced technique, uses his hands well and has the power to bull rush or long arm a tackle in to the quarterback or beat him off the edge with quickness.

2028 DL Elijah Moore out of North Farmington HS (MI.)

Highly disruptive player with good traits to play multiple positions and alignments. Uses explosive first step to shoot through gaps and wreck havoc in the backfield.

Top O-Lineman

2028 OL Alan Podboy out of Streetsboro HS (OH.)

Raw talent and upside at the position. Shows an ease of motion that is not common for players of his size. Flexible and natural bender who plays impressively low relative to center of gravity.

2026 OL Cashmere Story out of Columbus Downtown HS (OH.)

Flashes point-of-attack punch and functional strength to finish blocks in the run game. Aware and alert with good movement ability in pass protection.

2028 OL Kahmari Miskel out of North Central HS (IN.)

Fires off well and his strong with initial punch. Consistent with inside hand placement. Engages and turns defender. Drives legs well. Possesses a mean streak.

2027 OL Cooper Stockwell out of Dupont Manual HS (KY.)

Well drilled with strong footwork and hand placement. Bends well and fires off well at the snap. Can gain leverage on much smaller players. Initial punch is strong and accurate.

2027 OL Elijah Shafeek out of Ben Davis HS (IN.)

Shafeek, strong and physical at point of attack. Excellent foot speed and plays balanced. Often mauls high school defensive lineman. Remains engaged and easily turns defender to create running lane.

2027 OL Mason Cornett out of Chippewa Valley HS (MI.)

Cornett a strong built prospect. He may allow you to get the first step but has good recovery speed and a willingness to meet defenders head on.

Top WR's

2029 WR Mike Thompson-Ayers out of Columbus East HS (OH.) 

Natural pass-catcher who can stretch the field or take a short pass the distance. Can be lighting in a bottle when he gets the ball in his hands, creating YAC.

2028 WR Emery Burkett out of Princeton HS (OH.)

Can adjust to each and every throw, take short passes the distance while also getting behind the secondary on deep routes.  Strong hands, wide catch radius, will bring anything in range down.

2027 WR Christian Banks out of West Bloomfield HS (MI.)

Physical receiver, difficult to press but also take advantage of any cushions given. Continuing to develop into a complete route runner but initial explosiveness at LOS makes him difficult to cover.

2028 WR Shawn Rice out of Kilbourne HS (OH.)

Rice gets off the ground quickly and attacks passes at their highest point. Long-strider with solid timed speed. Can get down the field and take the top off a defense.

2028 WR Matthew Peterson out of Chattanooga Christian School (TN.)

Good ball-tracking ability on deep routes. Capable of getting separation quickly downfield and in short game. Also a consistent and solid pass catcher.

2027 WR Mark Grubbs out A.H. Parker HS (AL.)

Excellent body control and adjustment ability. Makes routine plays but needs to add weight and strength to combat larger defenders at the next level.

2027 WR Ty Cavette out of Graves County HS (KY.)

Good pass catcher who is quicker than fast. Has ability to create separation as smart route runner.

2028 WR Joshua Mhoon Jr out of Cleveland Central Catholic HS (OH.)

Not the biggest receiver, but plays bigger than listed size thanks to good athleticism and above-average bulk relative to frame. Strong-handed wideout who plucks the ball consistently.

2027 WR Tian Jennings out of Cleveland Heights HS (OH.)

Frame can easily carry more weight with the potential to improve physicality both before and after the catch. Slippery prospect in open field.

2027 WR Carson Treadway out of Oak Hill HS (WV.)

Not overly tall but thick athlete with a powerful frame. Has good ball skills, tracks the ball effectively in the air and shows strong hands at the catch point.

2028 WR Tucolin Downey out of Sandwich Secondary (ON.)

Good feet at the line of scrimmage on his releases and shows solid route-running ability. Provides both chain-moving possession consistency and big-play ability.

Top TE's

2028 TE Drew Bilik out of Bedford HS (MI.)

Owns a larger web with his length and has proven to be a reliable target in traffic. Instantly shifts gears after the catch and will extend plays with his agility and strength.

2028 TE Ryland Oliphant out of Archbishop Hoban HS (OH.)

Has a long, taller frame with room to fill in. Used primarily as a big receiver in high school. Projects as a flex tight end in college who can still split out, stand in the slot and be moved around.

2028 TE Abraham King out of Beechcroft HS (OH.)

Has natural ball skills and tracks and catches it over his shoulder like a wide receiver. Still a little raw in general but has big upside and should be a big time weapon.

Top RB's

2028 RB Leontae Wright out of Villa Angela St. Joseph HS (OH.)

Does not shy away from contact and initiates the blow much of the time. Excellent lateral agility. Has great burst and acceleration as well. Good upside.

2027 RB Khalil Almin out of Cleveland Heights HS (OH.)

Burst and acceleration allow him to break the long runs and has good, but not elite top end speed. Great pass-catcher, who can be physical after he catches the ball.

2028 RB Leon Cummings out of Gahanna Lincoln HS (OH.)

Cummings, hits the hole hard. Difficult to find in traffic because of low center of gravity, and finishes runs thanks to that leverage.

2028 RB Jimmie Green out of Lakota West HS (OH.)

Green is a loose runner with a natural gait and body lean. Has the ability to change directions without losing much speed and shows high-level lateral agility. Solid player.

Top QB's

2027 QB Myles Arnold out of Pickerington North HS (OH.)

Very instinctive passer that has creativity as a playmaker. Shows sudden movement and reactive quickness in the pocket both to avoid rushers and to deliver the football.

2029 QB Teddy Bakhshi out of St. Francis DeSales HS (OH.)

Good accuracy, particularly on short and intermediate throws. More athletic than you realize and can be a threat in the run game. Does not have an overpowering arm and can float downfield big throws.

2028 QB Met Riley out of South Charleston HS (WV.)

Riley has a solid arm with the ability to drive the ball downfield with zip. Highly creative player who thrives making impromptu plays outside of structure with the skill to make difficult off-platform throws.

2027 QB Logan Frieden out of Homestead HS (IN.)

A natural leader, a great teammate, and someone who looks like a future captain at the next level. Mobility and being able to avoid a pass rush is an area he can improve on.

2029 QB Colton Sims out of Walled Lake Central HS (MI.)

Pocket passer who can make all the throws and is accurate to all three levels of the field. Good start for a very young QB.

2029 QB Vincent Vennettilli out of Port Huron Northern HS (MI.)

Shows excellent touch on the deep balls and has the arm strength to make the deep outs and comebacks on a rope.

2028 QB Saint Anthony Crawford out of Shaker Heights HS (OH.)

Understands timing and anticipation, can get through his reads and find his secondary receivers.

2028 QB Zayvion Allen out of Toledo Central Catholic (OH.)

Allen, already flashes plus vertical arm capacity and good velocity in the short-to-intermediate game. Capable of pushing the ball down the field even when forced to remain flat-footed with pressure in his face.

2028 QB Jordan Parrett out of Columbia City HS (IN.)

Parrett, has a live arm and can throw outside the pocket rolling to his right or his left equally well. Has a tight release and solid mechanics. Solid upside for a 2028 QB.

2029 QB Ryan Smith out of Fort Wayne HS (IN.)

Smith, consistently makes on-target throws from the pocket, but also is dangerous breaking the pocket and throwing on the move. Has good upside at the position.

Top DB's

2028 DB Gavin Scott out of Pickerington Central HS (OH.)

Has a pure cover corner skill set with the ability to flip his hip and change direction quickly. Shows high-level ball skills as he locates and tracks the ball downfield. Closes quickly in defending the quick game.

2028 DB Joshua Coats out of Lutheran West HS (OH.)

Instinctive and versatile with the ability to play multiple spots within the secondary. Doesn't shy away from contact and looks to be a willing defender in terms of physicality.

2028 DB Mychal Gault Jr. out of Lutheran West HS (OH.)

Gault Jr is a rangy defender who does a nice job playing the ball in the air and closes really well on the football. A good competitor who takes every rep to heart.

2028 DB Steven Bennett out of John Hay HS (OH.)

Fluid athlete with a natural backpedal and redirecting agility. Twitchy athlete who shows impressive short-area burst as well as top-end speed.

2027 DB Sirius Jones out of Cleveland Heights HS (OH.)

Jones has loose hips and transitions easily to turn and run with receiver. Tracks ball well. Drives on ball well. Solid body control with plus athleticism to play the position.

Top LB's

2028 LB Dearonn Daniel out of Meadowdale HS (OH.)

Thin, broad-shouldered, long-armed athlete. Needs to add bulk and mass, but length is rare. Really effective downhill tackler.

2028 LB Mikai Kindle out of Owensboro HS (KY.)

Highly active at linebacker. Has very good recognition skills and triggers quickly. Easily runs sideline to sideline. Lacks some length in coverage with his frame, but does a good job of making plays.

2028 LB Desmond Nelson out of Gahanna Lincoln HS (OH.)

Plays with great range and is a great tackler. Excellent, when moving downhill and delivers solid hits with consistency. Flashes his speed and athleticism in tracking down ball carriers in pursuit.

2027 LB Emarion Bell out of Columbus East HS (OH.)

Bell shoots gaps decisively and plays with quickness and burst. Has pass-rush versatility. Impacts throwing lanes with length.

2027 LB Connor Rice out of Lincoln HS (WV.)

Tough and has a throwback streak to his game. Will need to adjust to playing against top athletes as he continues to hone in on his game. Good football player.

2028 LB Devon Paul-Ragland out of Ginn Academy (OH.)

Has a non-stop motor and plays with an aggressive edge to him. Nelson is young and hungry to prove himself as an upcoming prospect with a nose for the football.