Here are Greater Cincinnati's top 25 football players from the Class of 2025

As the summer rapidly approaches, pads will soon clash throughout high school football fields in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The recruiting trail is heating up for the Class of 2025.

Here are the top 25 recruits in Greater Cincinnati you might see committing in the next few months before hitting the field this fall.

25. Jayel Harris, Withrow

The 6-foot, 180-pound running back is a three-star recruit who committed to Central Michigan University April 25.

As a junior at Purcell Marian, Harris was the Miami Valley Conference's leading rusher, racking up 2,109 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Ohio selection.

24. Jonah Hayes, Moeller

A 6-foot-6, 215-pound edge rusher, Hayes is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 80 recruit in Ohio for the Class of 2025 and a three-star recruit.

Hayes had 14 tackles for the Crusaders last season, including two for a loss. He holds eight offers, including from Virginia, Navy, Marshall, Army and Georgia Tech.

23. Dylan Stewart, Conner

Stewart is the No. 25 player in Kentucky for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports.

Tabbed as a three-star recruit, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive lineman has a lengthy offer sheet that includes Army, Eastern Michigan, Navy, Western Michigan, Western Kentucky and Air Force, among others.

22. Trace Jallick, Anderson

A 6-foot-3, 190-pound athlete, Jallick is a three-star recruit and the No. 49 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings. Jallick was a second-team all-district receiver for the high-flying Anderson Raptors last season. He finished with 120 catches for 1,267 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Jallick holds offers from Miami Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, Akron and Dartmouth.

21. Donmiel Rogers, Winton Woods

Rogers could be one of the next great defensive backs to come out of Winton Woods. The 5-foot-9, 161-pound corner is a three-star recruit and the No. 58 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025.

Rogers was a first-team All-Ohio selection last season for the Warriors after finishing with 41 total tackles, three forced fumbles and three interceptions. Rogers holds offers from Toledo, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Marshall and West Virginia.

20. Noah King, Hamilton

King was previously at Fairfield, where he averaged 22.8 yards per reception over the last two seasons. In total, King tallied 21 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns, including a 97-yard score in a loss to Mason last season.

Now with the Big Blue, King is a three-star recruit and the No. 36 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings. King holds seven offers, including from West Virginia, Bowling Green, Ball State and Miami Ohio.

19. Raphael Greene, Winton Woods

Greene, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive tackle is garnering a ton of Division I interest with a lengthy offer sheet that includes Kentucky, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and others.

Greene is tabbed as a three-star prospect and the No. 50 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

18. Micah Rice, Moeller

As a junior safety last season, Rice tallied 55 tackles, a fumble recovery and three interceptions to help lead Moeller to a third consecutive regional championship.

A three-star recruit and a top-40 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, Rice has over 20 Division I offers, including from Minnesota, Stanford, Arizona and Louisville.

17. Maddox Arnold, Elder

A second-team all-district and honorable mention All-Ohio selection last season, Arnold ranked third in the Greater Catholic League-South in tackles (87) to go with three sacks and a pick.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker is tabbed as a three-star recruit and the No. 30 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. Arnold committed to Toledo in April.

16. Jamison Kitna, Lakota East

Kitna is a top 50 recruit in Ohio for the Class of 2025 with a large offer sheet that includes Indiana, UAB, Houston, Baylor, Duke, Kansas State, Syracuse and Texas Tech, among several others.

Kitna was a second-team all-district selection last season in his first season with the Thunderhawks. He threw for nearly 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns and added 227 yards and a half-dozen scores on the ground.

15. Erik Gayle, Withrow

A three-star edge rusher, Gayle is the No. 36 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

Gayle was a second-team all-conference selection last season after posting 30 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble. He committed to the UC Bearcats in April.

14. Dillon Smith, Ryle

In 13 games last season, Smith had 56 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions for the Raiders.

Smith is a three-star recruit and the No. 7 player in Kentucky for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings. Smith committed to Louisville in April.

13. Paul Nelson, Princeton

Nelson is the reigning Ohio Division I Defensive Player of the Year after registering 89 tackles and a Greater Miami Conference-best 12 sacks last season. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker had 23.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and a pair of recoveries.

Nelson, a three-star recruit, has 16 offers, including from Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Michigan State.

12. Drayden Pavey, Taft

Pavey was a first-team All-Ohio selection last season after a big year on the Senators' defensive line. Pavey had 53 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

The three-star recruit is a top 50 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025 and holds several big-time offers, including from Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin, NC State, Cincinnati and Michigan State.

11. Trey Verdon, Hamilton

Verdon was a second-team all-district and first-team All-Ohio selection last season for the Big Blue. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound defensive lineman had 77 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, eight sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

Verdon, a three-star recruit, committed to Iowa State in February.

10. Tucker Kattus, St. Xavier

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound tackle is the third Kattus brother to land in Lexington. Kattus committed to Kentucky in March after a first-team All-Ohio season in 2023 for the Bombers.

Kattus is a three-star recruit and a top 40 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025 and had several other suitors outside the Wildcats, including Arkansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin.

9. Seaonta Stewart, Winton Woods

A 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete, Stewart is a top 25 recruit in Ohio for the Class of 2025, per 247Sports.

The three-star prospect's lengthy offer sheet includes Oklahoma, Purdue, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Penn State, Tennessee and several others.

8. Caden Piening, Anderson

At 6-foot-4, Piening is the No. 31 tight end in the nation and a top 25 recruit in Ohio for the Class of 2025. Piening had over 20 Division I scholarship offers before committing to UCF in April.

Last season at Anderson, Piening had 35 catches for 624 yards and five touchdowns to help lead the Raptors to a regional championship.

7. Gordy Sulfsted, St. Xavier

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound defensive lineman is a three-star recruit and a top 20 prospect in Ohio for the Class of 2025. Sulfsted was a first-team all-district and third-team All-Ohio selection for the Bombers last season after tallying 41 tackles, 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.

Sulfsted has two dozen scholarship offers, including from Wisconsin, Harvard, Washington, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Miami, Minnesota, Purdue and Stanford.

6. Grant Beerman, Lakota West

Beerman was the leading tackler (79) for Lakota West last season, including 12 for a loss, three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. He was named honorable mention all-district.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound linebacker is a three-star recruit and the No. 14 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings. Beerman's offer sheet includes over two dozen programs, including Michigan State, Rutgers, Purdue, Boston College, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wake Forest. He has an official visit to Cincinnati scheduled for May 31.

5. Jaimier Scott, Mt. Healthy

Scott, a 6-foot-1, 177-pound athlete, committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in January. In 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Scott is the No. 12 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. He picked Wisconsin over several suitors, including Miami, Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue and Tennessee.

Scott did a little bit of everything for the Owls last season. He had 752 yards from scrimmage with most of his damage through the air, recording 34 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns. At corner, Scott had 56 tackles and a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six. He was named second-team All-Ohio.

4. Austin Alexander, Cooper

The 6-foot-3, 243-pound defensive lineman committed to North Carolina in April, picking the Tar Heels over a nearly 30 other programs, including Tennessee, Notre Dame, Stanford, Wisconsin, Maryland and Kentucky.

The four-star recruit is the No. 3 player in Kentucky for the Class of 2025. Last season, he was second in the state with 19 sacks to go with 81 tackles, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.

3. Luka Gilbert, Lakota West

The 6-foot-7, 233-pound tight end is the No. 10 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025 and a top 20 tight end in the country, per 247Sports. Gilbert, a four-star recruit, committed to the Miami Hurricanes in April.

Last season, Gilbert was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection, finishing with 15 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

2. Quintin Simmons Jr., Withrow

Simmons was an honorable mention all-district selection at receiver last season at Withrow. Simmons tallied 31 receptions for 533 yards and eight touchdowns to help lead the Tigers to the regional final.

A four-star recruit and a top 10 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, Simmons had nearly 20 scholarship offers before committing to Kentucky in February.

1. Justin Hill, Winton Woods

Hill, a top 20 edge rusher in the nation for the Class of 2025 and a four-star recruit, has offers from several big-name college programs but has trimmed his offer sheet to four schools: Alabama, Oregon, USC and Ohio State. He is set to make his commitment on July 3.

The first-team All-Ohio selection and Division II district defensive player of the year, Hill had 36 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and an ECC-best 13 sacks.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who are Greater Cincinnati's top 25 football recruits from 2025 class?