High school football: A closer look at 2024 area recruits
Jul. 14—With the flip of the calendar to July, college football recruiting slowed down.
Though a few players — most notably Springfield's Aaron Scott Jr., the top-rated prospect in the area — are set to announce their decisions this month, the dust appears largely to have settled after a busy summer for many who attended camps, made visits and collected scholarship offers.
With the start of preseason around the corner, here is a closer look of the class of 2024 at this point:
1. Nearly a dozen players have announced verbal commitments to Division I FBS school.
Trotwood-Madison quarterback Tim Carpenter III is aiming to be Indiana's quarterback of the future, and Centerville safety Reggie Powers III could be lining up against him as a member of the Michigan State secondary.
Lakota West defensive back Taebron Bennie-Powell is set to play for Wayne grad Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, and Stebbins offensive lineman Jake Wheelock became the first area player to commit to a Power 5 school when he issued his verbal to Cincinnati in early spring.
Beyond those four, another seven have announced commitments to FBS schools: Fairfield quarterback Talon Fisher (Navy), Northmont receiver Dalin Wilkins (Eastern Michigan), Lakota West defensive lineman Elijah Davis (Akron), Springfield receiver Da'Shawn Martin (Kent State), Xenia offensive lineman Gabriel Funk (Appalachian State), Trotwood-Madison defensive back Mike Smith (Akron) and Springboro athlete Willhizuan Yates (Ball State).
2. Scott is among a handful of players with a FBS offers who has not yet issued a verbal commit.
The four-star cornerback is joined by Wayne defensive end Javon Hammonds, Lakota West defensive backs Jacob Asbeck and Drew Minich, Lakota East tight end Derek Jackson, Trotwood-Madison receiver Quinten Johnson, Thurgood Marshall running back/slot receiver Amare Lattimore, Springfield receiver/running back Jayvin Norman, Stebbins athlete Rayvonn Harris, Fairmont athlete Kamron Payne and Fenwick kicker Derek Morris.
They have all reported at least one offer from an FBS school.
3. Many more players have reported offers from smaller schools from Division III up to the FCS.
That group includes (but is not limited to) Miamisburg linebacker Aiden Gillman, Northmont quarterback/defensive back Deuce Cortner, Alter offensive lineman Jake Noga and receiver Carter Sheets, Lakota West teammates Bukari Miles, Gabriel Flowers and Joe Marquardt, Springboro defensive back Sylas Cunningham (Duquesne commit), Centerville teammates Ross Coppock, Daniel Kamara and Drake Wells, Trotwood teammates DayAirion Owens, Braylon Brewer, Issiah Evans and Kenaz Smith, Springfield teammates Bradley Duncan III, Javyn Martin and Bryce Washington, Gabe Terrell of Middletown, Dray Wilson of Wayne and Xenia teammates Trenton Lee and Elijah Johnson.
All of these groups figure to change as the season progresses. If you have a personal recruiting update or one to share regarding a player in the area, always feel free to reach out to this writer at Marcus.Hartman@coxinc.com.
