The ultimate Ohio Top 10

Just who is the best high school football prospect in the state of Ohio, regardless of class? I decided to sit down and try to answer that question with the first installment of the Ultimate Ohio Top 10.

This list takes Ohio prospects in the 2019-21 classes and ranks them based on their potential, production, and projection to the next level.

Sawyer had a dominant sophomore season, his first full year playing defensive end. Seemingly everything that he works on, he excels at. He has already spent time at defensive end, linebacker, wide receiver and tight end and can play all of those positions at a high level on the high school field and could probably play three of them at a high level in college. He's also arguably the Central Ohio area's best basketball player in the 2021 class and was considered a major talent in baseball before giving that up.

Sawyer has incredible potential but is already producing at a high level and has the work ethic to continue to reach that ceiling.

As a sophomore, Paris Johnson was a big, athletic body with a lot of potential. But as a junior, all of that potential came together and Johnson became an absolutely dominant left tackle. Heading into his senior year, Johnson is on the short list of the best offensive line prospects that I've seen come out of Ohio in the past decade. Continued improvement during his senior season could put him at the top of that list.

Harrison has seemingly unlimited potential and improved each of the last three seasons at the high school level. He still has to refine his game, get stronger, and play with better pad level. These are all things that can be taught. What can't be taught is his frame, his athleticism and his work ethic. We may look back in five years and realize Harrison should have been number one here, he has as much upside as anyone on this list.

Ohio's 2018 Mr. Football, Stover had an unbelievable senior season and did whatever his team needed on both sides of the football. The question with Stover is going to be linebacker or defensive end. He's an excellent basketball player and currently shows the required athleticism to play out in space as a linebacker, but will his frame dictate a move down?

Either way, Stover's nose for the football, smarts, and willingness to strike, make him a tremendous defensive prospect.

Henry looks exactly how you want a top defensive line recruit to look. Even at No. 5 on this list, there is some upward mobility here for the Rivals100 prospect if he can become a little bit more consistent on Friday nights. Henry's raw strength, power, and quickness make him a tremendous prospect and one I'd personally like to see end up as a 3-tech at the college level.

Ballard took a June Ohio State camp by storm showing great hands, body control and the top end speed to make big plays vertically. He had a pretty strong sophomore season for a Massillon Washington team that made it all the way to the state championship game. Big-time potential here and one of Ohio's elite prospects for sure.

Few prospects that I've covered have as unique a perspective on things as Briggs, who is basically a computer nerd trapped into the body of a big-time defensive tackle. But don't let his seemingly happy-go-lucky personality fool you, when it's time to compete he does it at a very high level. Briggs has tremendous upper body strength and is nearly impossible to move at the point of attack. He's an underrated pass rusher as well, but likely best suited as more of a one-tech at the next level.

Rumler does not play a premium position like many of the prospects above him on this list. But he's an extremely safe bet to be a player at the next level. Rumler plays with a serious mean streak and has anchored the offensive line for a Hoban team that has won four straight state championships. A move to guard or center at the next level seems likely, but this is pretty much a plug-and-play guy for Michigan, hard to envision him not being a multi-year starter in Ann Arbor.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more productive defensive player in Ohio the past two seasons than Eichenberg. Most impressive is that he transitioned early in his senior season from outside to inside and didn't skip a beat. The seamless move to MIKE this fall bodes well for Eichenberg's future as that is probably where his size and skill set best project. Now that we've seen him do it at a high level, this becomes an easier projection in a business where nothing is certain.

Eichenberg has tremendous instincts and toughness and is also an extremely underrated blitzer. He should fit in very well in Columbus at a position where the Buckeyes need to find some answers this off-season.

Get ready to hear this phrase a lot the next two years, "pound-for-pound the best football player in Ohio". That's what Parks is. Yes, the size is a bit of a concern, but Parks plays the game bigger than his 155-pound listed weight. He is a physical football player, but more than anything, he is a magician with the ball in his hands. He has an uncanny ability to elude defenders even when he is seemingly boxed in.

56 touchdowns as a sophomore. FIFTY-SIX.

One of the best sophomore films I've seen in Ohio recently and a player who took over on the biggest stage in December in the state championship game. Parks will be providing memorable highlights for a long time and if he works on his route-running, will be the type of dynamic slot/hybrid type of weapon that spread offenses covet.

The choices made at both the top and bottom of this list were the most difficult as at least half a dozen other prospects were considered for those final few spots. But the choice for number one was the most difficult. Weighing Zach Harrison's potential against Paris Johnson's freakish talent and improvement from sophomore to junior year and Jack Sawyer's ridiculous production as a sophomore was not an easy task.

Ultimately Sawyer wins out and the logic behind it is that of the three prospects, Sawyer is the furthest ahead in his development at the same stage and still has tremendous upside and untapped potential. This is not a kid that is maxed out by any means.

All three prospects play a premium position, which made the choice even more difficult. Johnson's vast improvement from a physical and technical standpoint as a junior made this a razor thin margin and while the 2019 class will wash out from this discussion at the next update, the Johnson vs. Sawyer debate is only getting started.