Ohio talent shines at Best of the Midwest

The state of Ohio was very well represented in Indianapolis on Monday at the Best of the Midwest combine. Several prospects from the 2017-19 classes all turned in impressive performances as Ohioans accounted for many of the MVP awards given out at the end of the day.

There were a few Ohioans who entered the day with a lot of hype surrounding them, most notably class of 2018 Westerville South athlete Jaelen Gill and Huber Heights Wayne wide receiver L'Christian Smith. Both prospects lived up to their billing.

Gill ran a 4.36 40, the second fastest time at the camp. Gill also put up impressive times in the other testing drills and was clearly the most impressive running back in drills, before moving to wide receiver and winning the majority of his reps in 1-on-1's. As a do-it-all athlete on the offensive side of the ball, Gill is truly capable of playing running back or wide receiver and his route running improves each time we see him.

Smith is less experienced on the camp circuit as his winter and spring is mostly spent on the basketball floor but he was one of the most physically impressive prospects in attendance. Big, strong, and sure handed, it is easy to see why Smith already holds offers from the likes of Michigan and Penn State. He solidified his status as one of the elite prospects in Ohio's 2018 class.

Class of 2017 Columbus DeSales defensive tackle Derrius Mullins also lived up his billing as a top 25 Ohio rising senior. Mullins took home MVP honors along the defensive line and was virtually unblockable during 1-on-1's.

On paper, the best position group coming into the camp was the wide receiver position and the group certainly did not disappoint.

In addition to Smith and Gill, Dayton Dunbar class of 2018 prospect Joseph Scates also turned in a dominant performance. Scates has grown at least an inch since the fall and was as explosive as any athlete in attendance. At 6-foot-3, and with the speed to take the top off a defense, Scates could see his recruitment blow up this off-season.

Class of 2017 Dublin Coffman product Caleb Stoneburner entered the day still looking for his first offer but that is expected to change soon. Stoneburner ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and made tough grabs look easy during drills.

It was our first in-person look at 2017 Reynoldsburg wide receiver J.J. Cooper, son of former Ohio State linebacker Joe Cooper. Cooper holds three early offers and jumped out physically at 6-foot-5. Cooper looked smooth during drills and as he becomes stronger and more consistent, he should develop into one of the top prospects in Ohio. Boston College was the first Power Five program to offer but some other programs are lurking.

Several Ohio prospects turned in breakout performances on Monday, especially in the defensive backfield.

This segment has to start with mentioning class of 2017 Pickerington Central running back/athlete Morgan Ellison. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound prospect has missed both his sophomore and junior seasons due to injury. Ellison looks the part of a Division I football prospect, perhaps a linebacker, and was one of the biggest standouts at yesterday's camp, running a 4.6 40-yard dash and impressing with his speed, hands, and agility in 1-on-1's. Even without game film, it's hard to see Ellison's recruitment going past the spring without him picking up an offer, there is simply too much there for college coaches to work with.

2017 Franklin Heights running back Brenden Knox is an interesting prospect. He is solidly built at 6-feet tall and 205-pounds and showed good burst and quickness in drills. Knox is coming off a junior season in which he rushed for over 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Cleveland Glenville 2017 defensive back Coby Bryant has always been one of the biggest competitors on the camp circuit, but a recent growth spurt will surprise college coaches when they see him this spring and summer. Bryant is the younger brother of former Ohio State safety Christian Bryant and should see some offers come his way once coaches realize he has grown a couple of inches in the past few months.

Columbus Walnut Ridge product Darrick Forrest is a big, physical cornerback prospect with the size to possibly transition to free safety in college. Forrest ran a 4.47 40-yard dash on Monday, which opened some eyes at his size. A few MAC and Big Ten programs are looking at Forrest who should see increased interest this spring and summer.

Columbus St. Charles defensive back Davionn Johnson had one of the surprise performances of the day, running the third best 40 time of the entire camp at 4.37-seconds and then holding his own during the 1-on-1's in the afternoon. Johnson was a first team all-state selection this past fall and should start hearing from college programs soon.

There were a few class of 2019 Ohio prospects that really jumped out on Monday starting with Reynoldsburg running back/linebacker Dezman Cooper. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect was a freshman starter on a Reynoldsburg team that qualified for the playoffs this past fall. Cooper worked out at running back and certainly looks the part there but could be an even better prospect long term on the defensive side of the football.

Springfield defensive back Moses Douglass is already making some waves in the recruiting world, picking up offers from Kentucky and Cincinnati in recent weeks. The son of Springfield head coach and former NFL defensive back Mo Douglass, he is ahead of the curve with his technique and it showed during 1-on-1's where he was able to turn in several strong reps.

Westerville North defensive tackle Jeremiah Burton is another prospect to watch down the line. The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder took a lot of reps during 1-on-1's and won more than his fair share against older prospects. Burton missed time as a freshman with an injury but was otherwise slated to play a major role on North's defense this past fall. He is strong beyond his years and went hard on every rep he took.