John Banks Jr. (5’11 LB/Watkins Memorial/2024): Banks has been the anchor to one of the best defenses in the LCL, and his impact on games has only grown throughout the season. He had 10 total tackles, six for a loss, three sacks, and a tackle that resulted in a safety.

Brayden DeVito (QB/Shelby/2026): The Shelby quarterback is a must-watch among young players in Ohio and is just a highlight play waiting to happen. DeVito had a total of four touchdowns, and three of them were on plays of over 50 yards. DeVito’s dominance as a dual-threat quarterback has earned him over 3,000 total yards with two games to go in the regular season.

Corey Howard (5’9 HB/Canal Winchester/2024): Canal Winchester missed half of their two way running back duo for a few weeks as Howard recovered from an injury. But he was back for a big win over Westerville South last week, and his presence was felt. On 13 carries, the senior rushed for 101 yards and scored a touchdown.

Diore Hubbard (5’11 HB/Gahanna Lincoln/2024): For the second game in a row, Hubbard was responsible for all of Gahanna Lincoln’s touchdowns. The leading rusher had 20 carries, 123 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Jayden Lewis also made an impact out of the backfield with 10 carries for 74 yards in Gahanna Lincoln’s 17-0 win. 

Anthony Jalloh (6’3 EDGE/Franklin Heights/2026): A young edge rusher at Franklin Heights, Jalloh had himself a standout night when he had 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. Jalloh can toss offensive lineman out of his way, and did a great job of reading offenses, attacking the ball carrier within seconds.

Robert Lathon Jr. (5’11 HB/Bishop Hartley/2026): Lathon is next in line to become one of the best running backs in Ohio. His patient yet explosive running ability wears down a defense, especially late in games when it’s time to seal a victory. Lathon became a 1,000-yard rusher last week with 181 yards, and already has eight division I offers.

Jeramiah McDuffie (6’5 WR,DB/Westerville South/2024): McDuffie’s six-foot-five frame gives him a huge advantage against defenses on both sides of the ball. At wide receiver, McDuffie caught six passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was an incredible over-the-shoulder grab in tight space.

Landon O’Connell (6’3 QB/Pickerington North/2024): O’Connell has been one of the best quarterbacks in Central Ohio this season. He’s an efficient passer, throws his receivers open, and makes big time throws look easy. O’Connell went 12 of 14 for 250 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his touchdowns went to UAB commit and tight end, A.J. Miller.

Jaeden Ricketts (6’0 WR/Watkins Memorial/2026): Ricketts is a young wide receiver prospect who will develop into a star in Central Ohio. He used his great speed to burn defenders on both of his touchdowns against Licking Heights, where he also had seven receptions for 104 yards. The All-Ohioan is dangerous in the open field and will have plenty more standout games in his high school career. 

Kentrell Rinehart (6’2 HB/Bishop Ready/2025): As the regular season winds down, Mr. Football conversations will begin to arise. It’s time to put Rinehart’s name in that conversation. The Bishop Ready junior has totaled 34 touchdowns and over 1,900 rushing yards through eight games. That’s an average of well over 200 rushing yards per game. Last week, he rushed for a career-high 379 yards and had his third game with six touchdowns or more. We’ll save any further arguments towards Rinehart’s deservingness of the award, but it would be a mistake to not consider a player who has dominated on this level all season long.

Jayden Steele (6’3 CB/Westerville Central/2025): Steele made some incredible plays on the ball against Gahanna Lincoln. He snatched two great interceptions out of the air, one of which saved a touchdown and made some great tackles in the open field as well. A very encouraging night for the young, but experienced Westerville Central corner.

Andy Urda (6’0 DE/Olentangy/2025): Urda’s speed really stood out when watching Olentangy’s high angle drone footage of last week’s win over Hilliard Darby. The junior defensive lineman went through Hilliard Darby’s tough offensive line and zipped into the backfield for three tackles for loss. Urda also had nine total tackles on the night.

Kaseem Wade (5’10 HB/Canal Winchester/2024): Wade is the most under-the-radar running back inCentral Ohio, but we love his running style. Wade runs with a lot of power, which makes him tough to tackle. He also has great footwork that allows him to get around defenders and escape for big runs. The Canal Winchester senior rushed for 176 yards on 26 carries and scored three touchdowns.

Mario Williams (5’11 DB/Westerville Central/2024): Williams is one of the best defensive backs in the OCC and his dominance was on display last week. Williams forced a fumble on each of his two sacks, and had another nine tackles as well. He made the most of his opportunities to pressure the quarterback and with his speed, he can fly all over the field and make plays on the ball.