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Greater Cincinnati high school football: Top 10 linebackers to watch in 2023

Brendan Connelly and Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer
·6 min read

The beginning of the high school football season is less than two months away with Northern Kentucky and Ohio each scheduled to kick off on Aug. 18.

Here's a rundown of the top 10 linebackers to watch from each side of the river going into the 2023 season.

(This is the final installment of a seven-part series where The Enquirer will list the top 10 players at each positional group).

More: ICYMI: Huddle up for city's top high school football players by position heading into 2023

More: Who are the top-ranked Cincinnati high school football players from the Class of 2024?

Maddox Arnold, Elder

A 6-foot-2, 208-pound linebacker, Arnold is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 20 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. The junior holds offers from Miami Ohio, Ball State, Charlotte and Eastern Michigan.

Elder linebacker Maddox Arnold (40) is a three-star recruit for the Class of 2025.
Elder linebacker Maddox Arnold (40) is a three-star recruit for the Class of 2025.

As a sophomore last season, Arnold registered 40 total tackles, a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and recovered a fumble. He matched a season-high with seven tackles against Lakewood St. Edward and St. Xavier (Kentucky) and had a sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss in a 49-7 win over Middletown.

Jordan Baker, Fairfield

As a junior last season, Baker had 62 tackles, five sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for the Indians.

Fairfield senior defensive end Jordan Baker was a second-team all-district selection last season.
Fairfield senior defensive end Jordan Baker was a second-team all-district selection last season.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker was named second-team all-district and was a first-team all-league selection in the Greater Miami Conference. He holds offers from Thomas More University, Tiffin University and Notre Dame College.

Grant Beerman, Lakota West

In two games last season as a sophomore on Lakota West's stout defense, Beerman registered 10 tackles. He had a sack and 3.5 tackles for loss in Lakota West's 43-0 playoff victory over Lebanon.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior linebacker is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 31 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. Beerman holds offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Massachusetts, Marshall, Miami Ohio, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Toledo.

Demico Harris, St. Bernard

Harris finished seventh in the state in total tackles (170) last season and was named the Miami Valley Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Gray division. He was named second-team All-Ohio in Division VII, helping St. Bernard go 6-5 and reach the playoffs.

Additionally, Harris had 9.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. A 1,400-yard rusher on the offensive end, Harris had a season-high 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in a 34-0 win over Shroder. He eclipsed 20-plus tackles three times, including a 22-tackle performance in a 26-20 victory over CCPA.

Quaid Hauer, Wyoming

Hauer was a second-team All-Ohio quarterback last season, helping lead Wyoming to the Division IV state championship game. Hauer was dominant on the defensive end at linebacker, racking up a Cincinnati Hills League-best 149 tackles.

Wyoming's Quaid Hauer (2) led the Cincinnati Hills League in tackles last season.
Wyoming's Quaid Hauer (2) led the Cincinnati Hills League in tackles last season.

Hauer also notched two sacks, five tackles for loss, forced a fumble and had an interception. He had a season-high 17 tackles (plus a sack) in Wyoming's 32-20 win over Steubenville in the Division IV state semifinals. Hauer had double-digit tackles in seven games last season on a Wyoming defense that was the seventh in Ohio High School Athletic Association history to post 10 shutouts in a season.

Jack Lonaker, Cooper

Cooper linebacker Jack Lonaker was second in Class 5A in tackles in 2022.
Cooper linebacker Jack Lonaker was second in Class 5A in tackles in 2022.

The senior will lead a Jaguars' defensive unit sure to make some noise this fall. Lonaker, who was second in Class 5A with 148 tackles last year, will team up with juniors Austin Alexander, Mason Stanton, and Blanchester transfer Michael Mulvihill to give opposing offenses nightmares.

In addition to his ability to seek out and tackle the ball carrier, Lonaker forced three fumbles in 2022, with two coming in the Jaguars' first-round playoff game against Scott County.

Kash Mallory, Mount Healthy

A 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior linebacker, Mallory is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 102 player in Ohio for the Class of 2024. Mallory's offer sheet includes Boston College, Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and Louisiana.

Mallory posted 51 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble last season at Walnut Hills. He'll join a talented Mount Healthy squad along with fellow linebacker Michael Watson, who was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection last season for the Owls.

Watson, who was also first-team all-league, was third in the Southwest Ohio Conference in total tackles (133) to go with 14 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

Michael Mulvihill, Cooper

Before transferring to Cooper, the junior was the Southern Buckeye Conference-National's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year for Blanchester.

Michael Mulvihill, who transferred to Cooper earlier this month, was a first-team All-Ohio linebacker at Blanchester last season.
Michael Mulvihill, who transferred to Cooper earlier this month, was a first-team All-Ohio linebacker at Blanchester last season.

As a linebacker, he recorded 105 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions. He was named first-team All-Ohio in Division V.

Paul Nelson, Princeton

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 27 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. The junior has already reeled in some-big time offers, including Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and West Virginia.

Princeton linebacker Paul Nelson is a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025.
Princeton linebacker Paul Nelson is a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025.

A second-team All-GMC selection last season, Nelson had 57 total tackles and led the Vikings in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (5) and forced fumbles (6).

Nelson had a season-high nine tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in a 26-0 win over Hamilton last fall.

Brach Rice, Dixie Heights

Rice was sixth in Class 6A with 126 tackles last year. Twelve of his tackles were for a loss and he also registered five sacks. He recorded 20 tackles each against Covington Catholic and Conner.

Dixie Heights linebacker Brach Rice (right) is committed to Miami (Ohio)
Dixie Heights linebacker Brach Rice (right) is committed to Miami (Ohio)

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker is committed to playing at Miami (Ohio) after holding offers from Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky and Toledo.

Best of the rest

Drew Enginger, Badin; Nolan Darnell, Talon Armacost, Bethel-Tate; Rico Johnson, CCPA; Andrew McIntosh, Clermont Northeastern; Ben Fay, Conner; Tate Kruer, Covington Catholic; Wyatt Walker, Brayden Smith, Edgewood; Brent Thompson, Gamble Montessori; Joe Banks, Harrison; Penn Picton, Indian Hill; Brady O'Connor, La Salle; Luke Berberich, Charlie Smith, Lebanon; Eli Schoellman, Little Miami; Kia Woolfolk, Mason; Gabe Terrell, Middletown; Andrew Littrell, Milford; Kaleb Cole, Newport Central Catholic; Erick Morris, Northwest; Max Rhodes, Oak Hills; Mark Ober, Simon Kenton; Brayden Johnson, South Dearborn; Johnathon Seibert, Walton-Verona; Garrett Lundy, Waynesville; Ayden Holden, Williamsburg; Luke Achterman, Wilmington; My'ontae Stewart, Woodward; D.J. Gray, Wyoming

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio high school football: 2023 top 10 Greater Cincinnati linebackers